No decision on Petraeus exit from Afghanistan: US

The Pentagon said no decision has been made on when General David Petraeus will leave his post as US commander in Afghanistan, after a British paper reported he would step down this year.

File photo shows US commander in Afghanistan General David Petraeus (R) introduces US President Barack Obama at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. The Times reported that President Barack Obama plans to replace Petraeus, who was appointed as commander eight months ago, as part of a broad reorganization of senior US officials in Afghanistan.

Pakistani Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani (R) talks with US General David Petraeus, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commander January 31, 2011 during a meeting in Rawalpindi. Petraeus, the most well-known officer in the American military, has often been mentioned as a leading candidate to succeed Admiral Mike Mullen as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

AFP - The Pentagon said no decision has been made on when General David Petraeus will leave his post as US commander in Afghanistan, after a British newspaper reported he would step down this year.

Responding to an account in The Times, press secretary Geoff Morrell said Petraeus would eventually leave his command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) but there were no firm plans yet.

"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," 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 Petraeus -- as well as his deputy commander General David Rodriguez -- were widely expected to step down by the end of the year.

Petraeus, the most well-known officer in the American military, has often been mentioned as a leading candidate to succeed Admiral Mike Mullen as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- whose term as the US military's top officer ends in September.

Stepping down in the fall would allow 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 defense secretary, Robert Gates, and the US ambassador in Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry.

The Times reported that President Barack Obama plans to replace Petraeus, who was appointed as commander eight months ago, as part of a broad reorganization of senior US officials in Afghanistan.

"General Petraeus is doing a brilliant job but he's been going virtually non-stop since 9/11 (and) he can't do it for ever," Morrell was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Morrell told the paper that Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates were "already thinking about that."

Marc Grossman, a former US under secretary of state for political affairs, is expected to replace the late Richard Holbrooke as Obama's special envoy to Pakistan-Afghanistan, and to take up the difficult task of repairing US-Pakistani relations.

Petraeus took up his current position in June last year when Obama fired General Stanley McChrystal for making unflattering remarks during an interview.

The four-star general is widely credited in Washington for his role in salvaging the war in Iraq when he took over as commander there, and many Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators view him as a hero and possible presidential material.