WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden says next summer's planned withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan will be more than a "token" reduction despite uneven progress.
And he's promising that "we're going to be totally out of there, come hell or high water, by 2014."
Biden sees progress "on all fronts" with more progress in some areas than others.
He tells NBC's "Meet the Press" that al-Qaida's strength "has been significantly degraded" as U.S. forces has gone after the terrorist group's leadership.
But he says there's been less success in countering the Afghan insurgency, dealing with the safe havens in Pakistan and creating a stable Afghan government.
Biden says plans haven't changed for President Barack Obama's pledge to begin U.S. troop reductions next summer.
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