The US Department of Defence has said no decision has been made on when General David Petraeus will leave his post as American commander in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon made the statement after a newspaper report said that General Petraeus would step down this year.
Responding to a report in the London Times, a Pentagon spokesman said the general would eventually leave his post as Head of the International Security Assistance Force but there were no firm plans yet.
General Petraeus has frequently been mentioned as a leading candidate to succeed Admiral Mike Mullen as chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. Admiral Mullen’s term ends in September.
‘Despite some sensational speculation by one of the London papers, I can assure you General Petraeus is not quitting as ISAF commander, but nor does he plan to stay in Afghanistan forever,’ Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said in a statement.
‘Obviously he will rotate out at some point, but that point has not yet been determined and it will not occur anytime soon. Until then, he will continue to ably lead our coalition forces in Afghanistan.’
The Washington Post meanwhile also reported that General Petraeus - as well as his Deputy Commander General David Rodriguez - are widely expected to step down by the end of the year.
Stepping down in the Autumn would allow General Petraeus to oversee the start of a planned troop withdrawal in July, and would coincide with the expected departure of other senior figures in the war effort, including the Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, and the US Ambassador in Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry.
