President Barack Obama's plan to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan next summer could be hindered by the new Republican majority in the House, as the decision remains unpopular with the GOP.
In Australia, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that the timing around the withdrawal remains undecided.
"I think things will depend on our assessment next spring and early summer on how we're doing," the Pentagon chief told reporters.
That statement is a step back from previous expressions of certainty from the administration that the drawdown would be in the works by mid-July.
