Too early to determine new Pak govt`s role in Afghanistan: US

Washington: The US on Monday said it is too early to determine if the new Pakistan government led by Nawaz Sharif would result in any dynamics of reconciliation with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

"It is little early to see if there is going to be change in dynamics right now," Pentagon spokesman Steve Warren told reporters during an off camera news conference. At the same time the Pentagon expressed hope that the new Pakistan Government would continue to help it in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. "We are of course hopeful that we would continue our work with the new Pakistani Government," Warren said in response to a question. The Pentagon spokesman said the United States would have presence of its troops in Afghanistan post 2014, but did not go into details of it. "I am not going to talk in what is ruled in and ruled out today...Initially yes, we will have some forces in 2014. I am not prepared to talk what that is going to look like," Warren said. "We outline the broader idea that as we transition security to Afghan lead, we will have a force of some size which would continue to train or continue to advise and assist the Afghans as they soldier the entire security by 2014," he said. Defense Ministers of NATO countries are meeting in Brussels this week to discuss among others the security transition and post 2014 presence in Afghanistan. "They are likely to talk about the larger game plan in Afghanistan," Warren said. He was responding to a question on the NATO Defense Ministers meeting in Brussels this week. "There is a lot of talk and desire about the number comes out of it. But what I think the focus is going to be bigger picture game plan of what the train and equip force would look like in 2014," he added. PTI