NATO has said that its forces may still lead some combat operations in Afghanistan beyond 2014, the target date for shifting authority to Afghan troops. NATO’s top civilian representative in the country said today that the end of 2014 was not a deadline but a goal and though it’s realistic, it cannot be guaranteed.Afghan President Hamid Karzai had announced that his country’s security forces will be able to take over charge by 2014 but transition of security has not begun yet. NATO Chief in Afghanistan Sedwill said the transition to Afghan control of security will be slow and piecemeal, often starting with individual districts and building up to the provincial level. He said each area will be evaluated for transfer based on four criteria namely the security situation, the capacity of Afghan security forces in the area, the preparations of NATO forces and the progress toward governance reforms. The NATO official said that there would still be a certain level of violence that by western standards will be pretty eye-watering beyond 2014. He said that in such a scenario, special forces units would be required to remain and fight in addition to the logistical support, training and equipment provided for Afghan units. A NATO summit of allies and Afghan leaders at Lisbon this weekend will aim to set broad terms for Afghan mission. NATO and the Afghan government plan to sign an agreement that will set out the international community’s commitment to Afghanistan, including support for training forces, the growth of the Afghan military and intelligence sharing.