KABUL, Jan. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The US-led coalition troops are likely to remain in the post-war Afghanistan for decades, a senior US commander hinted here Monday.

    "I think I can tell with confidence that the United States, the coalition would stay here until the mission is complete. We do not have a timeline on when we would leave Afghanistan," commander of the Regional Command East Gary Cheek told reporters Monday.

    Regional Command East covers 16 provinces of Afghanistan, including east, southeast, northeast and central provinces of the war-torn nation.

    The mission of the US army as defined by Washington is to eliminate the terror network of Taliban and al-Qaeda, stabilize security and strengthen democracy in the war-devastated central Asian state.

    To complete the mission, the US military needs years to remain here as it has failed to track down the Taliban's chief Mullah Mohammad Omar and Osama Bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of 9/11 attacks on the United States.

    Over 18,000 US-dominated coalition troops have stationed in Afghanistan since the collapse of Taliban regime three years ago.

    Corroborating his notion, Colonel Cheek gave examples of Germany and South Korea, where the US military has been keeping its presence since World War 11.

    "We look in other places in the world we have stayed for a considerable time for example in Germany and Korea," he said.

    However, he noted that the US military would leave Afghanistan whenever the Afghans feel there is no need for their presence in the country.

    "And certainly we would only stay as long as we are here invited guests of the Afghan government," he emphasized.

    "I would say the more important is the relationship between theUnited States and Afghanistan and it would last for decades," saidthe Colonel. Enditem