British Prime Minister David Cameron, third left, walks past a Mastiff armoured vehicle as he walks through Patrol Base 2 between Lashkar Gah and Gereshk in Afghanistan on Monday.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- British troops could start heading home by the end of 2011
- NATO's goal is to turn over security operations in Afghanistan before 2015
- The British prime minister says the goal is "challenging," but "achievable"
"It's challenging, but it is achievable," Cameron said. "What I see is actually some grounds for cautious optimism."
Cameron cited the continued training of the Afghan National Army and the nation's police force, noting 500 police officers are coming out of a British-run police academy every eight weeks.
NATO has some 150,000 troops in Afghanistan, pressing the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda. About 9,500 of the forces are British, according to the country's Ministry of Defence.
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In an October interview with CNN, he said he does expect to be able to recommend to U.S. President Barack Obama that the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan could begin to be reduced beginning in July 2011, but he declined to say how many troops might be headed home.
Cameron said he shares a similar optimism, adding he believes some British troops could start heading home before Christmas 2011.
"I think that it's possible," he said. "We have to deliver on the ground what's necessary."
Cameron said British forces are ahead of schedule in training the Afghan army.
"We have a very clear timetable for transition in Afghanistan. It's going to take place between now and 2014," the prime minister said. "All of NATO has signed up to that. The Afghan government has signed up to that."
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