Gates, in surprise visit to Kabul, takes a milder stance toward Karzai's corruption...

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The numbers and dates' fudging begins? Reuters/ here

"... Gates reassured Afghans on Tuesday that Washington would not abandon them abruptly, and said a withdrawal due to begin in 2011 could be spread over several years to train Afghan troops.

In a notable shift of tone, Gates appeared to take a milder stance toward corruption in President Hamid Karzai's government, accepting that the international community and the United States itself shared some of the blame for how they manage aid...."

Posted by G, Z, or B at 7:06 AM