Oz Army Chief says Afghan forces may take security charge by 2014

London, Jan 21 (ANI): Australian Army Chief Ken Gillespie has expressed hope that foreign forces would be able to hand over security charges to Afghan forces by 2014.

According to news.com.au, Afghanistan was an important topic for discussion at the 'Aukmin talks' between Australian and British defence and foreign affairs ministers in Sydney this week.

Lieutenant General Gillespie is of the opinion that "good progress" had been made over the decade as far as fighting insurgents were concerned, adding that resources were in place to do the job.

"Certainly when you talk to (US) General (David) Petraeus (commander of the Afghanistan war) he says he's got enough resources to do what he's been asked to do in the strategy that's been set. And I, like the others who talk about this, am cautiously optimistic we are making good progress over there at the present time," he said.

General Gillespie further said he disagreed with those who believed the Army should refocus itself on counter-terrorism, rather than make conventional warfare the priority. (ANI)