The general commanding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan says the military is making progress on a campaign to drive terrorists from Afghanistan.
But Army Gen. David Petraeus warned on Tuesday that the mission is far from over. He told hundreds of people at a World Affairs Council of Charlotte, N.C., luncheon that the campaign could last 18 months.
He said it was a "highly important endeavor" because the United States can't let Afghanistan become a safe haven for terrorists.
Petraeus earned a Ph.D. in international relations from Princeton University. He spoke there last month and at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee on Monday.
He took over as head of U.S. Central Command in 2008 after executing the surge of U.S. troops into Iraq in 2007.
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