Gen. David Petraeus took command of coalition forces under the pine trees near NATO headquarters in the Afghan capital Sunday, and called on civilian and military leaders to unite in their support for the war and show "we are in this to win." Despite mounting casualties and a stiff insurgency, Gen. Petraeus vowed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization coalition had a long-term commitment to Afghanistan and that "neither insurgents nor our partners in the region should doubt that." Gen. Petraeus avoided any mention of a July 2011 deadline for beginning the withdrawal of troops—part of the Obama administration's war plan that has drawn increasing criticism, including from the Afghan ambassador to Washington. But Gen. Petraeus appeared to make a passing reference to next year's proposed drawdown, saying NATO was looking forward to Afghan forces taking more responsibility for security, and that "certainly the character of our commitment will change over time."
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