Marines likely to stay in Afghanistan for years

It will likely be a few years before Afghanistan is secure enough for the U.S. Marines to leave, Commandant Gen. James Conway said Tuesday, adding his voice to a growing chorus of military leaders warning of a long fight ahead.

Afghan war commander Gen. David Petraeus and other senior officers have recently said that considerable time will be needed before Afghan troops can take over the fight.

But Conway's blunt assessment was the first of its kind to come from a service chief since President Barack Obama announced that U.S. troops will begin leaving Afghanistan in July 2011. Last fall, Obama said that security conditions will determine how many forces can leave and how fast.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100824/ap_on_go_ot/us_us_afghanistan

The commanders say we will be in Afghanistan for years.

Obama says we will "begin leaving" (not leave) Afghanistan in July 2011, but "security conditions" will determine how many forces leave and how fast.

Obviously, we're not leaving Afghanistan for years and years and years.

Nonetheless, you can be sure Obama will withdraw a token force before the 2012 election, in order to claim we've "begun leaving".