General: withdrawals in Afghanistan might be 3 years away

CHAPEL HILL (AP) -- An American general leading NATO forces in Afghanistan says troop withdrawals could start in about three years.

General Dan McNeill told an Army leadership conference at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Sunday the number of insurgent attacks could increase again this year.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reported that McNeill attributed the increase in insurgent attacks and killings in the last year to a larger and more aggressive NATO force.

McNeill is a former commander of Fort Bragg and the 18th Airborne Corps as well as the 82nd Airborne Division there. He leaves the NATO command in Afghanistan next month, after 17 months
leading the international force.

Coalition causalities reached an all-time high last year in the war that began in 2001, with 232 personnel killed.

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Information from: The News & Observer, http://www.newsobserver.com

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