U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the Pentagon and the White House are discussing what presence the U.S. military will have in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of combat troops in 2014.
Panetta told reporters Monday aboard a military aircraft traveling to Australia that the head of the U.S.-led NATO coalition in Afghanistan, General John Allen, has presented plans to support counter-terrorism and training for Afghan forces.
The United States and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement in May outlining the future relationship between the two countries. It does not specify any specific troop presence, but pledges American aid for Afghanistan for at least a decade after international combat troops leave the country.