The US and its NATO partners will soon announce how they plan for Afghans to take the lead in securing their own country by 2014. US officials said on Tuesday that Afghan forces are expected to begin taking some control next year, with the process continuing in all of Afghanistan's 34 provinces through the end of 2014. An announcement to this effect will be made at this week's NATO Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. This will be the first time that officials will outline concrete steps to meet the goal of transferring power within the next four years. Doug Lute, Obama's special assistant for Afghanistan and Pakistan said that based on conditions on the ground, and as a result in the surge in international resources over the last year, it is possible now to begin a responsible transition to Afghan security.