NATO chief sees handover to Afghan troops in 2008

RIGA, Nov 28 (Reuters) NATO forces should be able to hand over responsibility to Afghanistan's security forces gradually in 2008, the alliance's secretary-general said today.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer gave a glimpse of NATO's exit strategy from its most dangerous combat mission in speech to a security conference hours before the start of a summit of alliance leaders in Latvia.

''I would hope that by 2008, we will have made considerable progress ... and effective and trusted Afghan security forces gradually taking control,'' he told the Riga Conference, appealing to allies to provide more troops with fewer national restrictions on their use in the meantime.

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