**Senior US government figures have rejected criticism of President Barack Obama’s plan to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in 2011.**President Obama announced last week that the US would boost troop numbers, but start pulling out by July 2011.
State Secretary Hillary Clinton said it was not a “drop-dead deadline”, while Defence Secretary Robert Gates said it was “the beginning of a process”.
Mr Gates also said the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden were unknown.
He said it had been “years” since the US last had any good intelligence about his movements.
‘Wrong message’
Republicans have criticised President Obama’s date as being “arbitrary” and a possible encouragement for the Taliban.
Senator John McCain said it sent the wrong message to the militants.
“We’re not talking about an exit strategy or a drop-dead deadline”
Hillary Clinton
US Secretary of State
But Mr Gates said troops would be sent home gradually, with the US retaining an “overwatch” position if necessary.
“[President Obama] was balancing a demonstration of resolve with also communicating a sense of urgency to the Afghan government that they must step up to the plate in terms of recruiting their soldiers, training their soldiers and getting their soldiers into the field.”
He added that in July 2011 US generals will know “whether our strategy is working”.
Mr Obama ordered 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan as quickly as possible, bringing US troop strength in the country to more than 100,000.
Announcing the surge, he said the mission in Afghanistan was to defeat al-Qaeda, reverse the Taliban’s momentum and deny them the ability to overthrow the government.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also in the studios on Sunday, said: "We’re not talking about an exit strategy or a drop-dead deadline.
“What we’re talking about is an assessment that… we can begin a transition, a transition to hand off responsibility to the Afghan forces.”