British troops could start withdrawing from Afghanistan as early as next year, prime minister David Cameron said this morning.
Britain has said it wants to pull the bulk of its 9,500-strong force out of the war zone within five years, in line with an international aspiration to give Afghans full control of their security by the end of 2014.
The United States, which has committed the bulk of foreign troops deployed in Afghanistan, hopes to start bringing soldiers home from July 2011.
Asked in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live whether Britain could match that, Mr Cameron said, "Yes, we can but it should be based on the conditions on the ground."
"I mean, the faster we can transition districts and provinces to Afghan control, clearly the faster that some forces can be brought home," he said.
"I don't want to raise expectations about that because that transition should be based on how well the security situation is progressing."
Mr Cameron said the British public should be clear that, by 2015, the UK would not
have "combat troops or large numbers" in Afghanistan.
He discussed Afghanistan and exit strategies with US President Barack Obama on yesterday in his first visit to the White House as prime minister.
Both men are under strong domestic pressure to bring troops home but have also said they are determined to succeed in their mission to stabilize the country.
"Victory in this war is being able to hand over to an Afghan government and an Afghan army and police force that are capable of securing their own country," Mr Cameron said in an interview with GMTV.
Reuters