America's Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has said the US wants to pull its military out of Asian tsunami relief operations as soon as possible.
Mr Wolfowitz, who was speaking as he toured the disaster zone, said the task would be handed over to regional governments.
He said the ultimate goal was still to alleviate suffering and provide relief supplies to disaster victims.
More than 163,000 people were killed in the disaster throughout the Indian Ocean region.
The US has sent more than 15,000 military personnel to the region, at a time when its armed forces have heavy commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
