America's top general says he would like to see a security agreement with Afghanistan signed by October, which would give NATO enough time to prepare for a post-2014 military presence.
The White House says the decision on how many U.S. troops to leave in Afghanistan won't be imminent. But it's leaving open the possibility the U.S. won't leave forces there after combat troops depart in 2014.
NATO says five members of the U.S.-led international military coalition have been killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan -- the first foreign troops killed this month around the country.
President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Friday they have agreed to speed up slightly the schedule for moving Afghanistan's security forces into the lead across the country, with U.S. troops shifting fully to a support role. The leaders also said Obama agreed to place battlefield detainees under the control of the Afghan government.