WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - A White House review of President Barack Obama's Afghanistan war strategy reported on Thursday that U.S.-led forces were making headway against the Taliban and al Qaeda but warned that gains were "fragile and reversible."
With Obama facing skepticism among lawmakers and the American public over the increasingly unpopular war, his administration's long-awaited policy assessment asserted that the United States was on track to meet his pledge to start withdrawing U.S. forces in July 2011.
But the White House tempered its optimism with words of caution, citing daunting challenges such as the need for further steps to combat corruption in Afghanistan and for Pakistan's "sustained denial" of safe haven for militants in its tribal areas. (Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, Editing by Sandra Maler)
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