The British government has announced plans to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan next year. British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond says despite the withdrawals, more than half of British troops in Afghanistan will still remain behind until the U.S. pullout one year later in 2014.

British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond: “I would expect it to be significant, which means thousands, not hundreds, but I would not expect it to be the majority of our forces out by the end of next year. We will have — by the beginning of 2013, we’ll have 9,000 troops there, and by the end of 2014, we’ll have virtually none. And I would expect there to be a significant step at the end of 2013.”