Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters Thursday that the withdrawal timeline for U.S. troops in Afghanistan will remain in place following the departure of General Stanley McChrystal, but will be subject to review by the Afghan Commander's recently named replacement General David Petraeus.

"When [Petraeus] gets on the ground he will assess the situation for himself, and at some point he will make recommendations to the President," Gates said during a briefing at the Pentagon. "That's what any military commander should do."

When President Obama announced last December that the U.S. would escalate troop levels by 30,000, he also outlined a goal to begin a steady withdrawal from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011.

During a joint press conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the White House on Thursday, Mr. Obama assured reporters that replacing McChrystal with Petraeus in Afghanistan would not alter that plan.

"The short answer is that what we saw yesterday was a change in personnel but not a change in policy," he said. Referencing the troop drawdown, he added, "We didn't say we'd be switching off the light and closing the door behind us."

Gates stressed Thursday that the war's main architects, including General Petraeus, continue to support the July timeline. However, during an appearance before the Senate Armed Services last week, Petraeus told Chairman Carl Levin, "In a perfect world ... we have to be very careful with timelines."

McChrystal was relieved of his command position Wednesday after controversial comments from the General and his staff made it into an upcoming issue of Rolling Stone magazine. Mr. Obama quickly named Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, as McChrystal's successor.