Petraeus steps down as US commander in Afganistan

At a ceremony in Kabul Petraeus passed the baton to John Allen, a former subordinate who made his name in Iraq by striking tribal alliances considered integral in reversing Al-Qaedas momentum after years of appalling violence.Petraeus oversaw a surge of tens of thousands of troops into Afghanistan in a last-ditch bid to reverse a nearly 10-year Taliban insurgency and although he has claimed some progress, violence remains at record highs.Flanked by Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, top US Marine General James Mattis, NATO commander General Wolf Langheld and his replacement, Petraeus handed over his role in a passing of flags.Petraeus is leaving to head up the CIA, after a week in which Afghan President Hamid Karzai saw his younger brother and a key aide assassinated at their homes, and as NATO began transitioning areas of the country to Afghan control. Petraeus warned that a tough fight remained, making reference to Taliban and Al-Qaeda hideouts across Afghanistans eastern border in Pakistan.There is nothing easy about such a fight especially when the enemy can exploit sanctuaries outside the country, he said.But ensuring that Al-Qaeda can never establish a sanctuary here again is a hugely important object and the enemy should not question the determination of Afghanistan or Afghans or the coalition to achieve it.But the outgoing commander directed most of his words to praise the nearly 150,000 troops serving in Afghanistan and credit his successor Allen as the right man for the job.You and our Afghan partners have arrested the momentum from the enemies of the new Afghanistan.... You have taken away from the insurgency important areas in the former Taliban heartland, he said.