The BBC looks at the nine-month command of Gen. David Richards, who led 30,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan. U.S. Gen. Dan McNeill will replace him.
(Richards) is acknowledged around the shop in Afghanistan as being a great leader, not just for Isaf, but for the international effort to support Afghanistan's transition," says Chris Alexander, the deputy head of the UN mission to Afghanistan (Note: A former ambassador to Afghanistan for Canada).
But, he argues, there are still some serious issues that have not been addressed.
"There is a question of sanctuary and external support, there is a question of weak fragile government institutions as well and there is also the unequal, uneven development in the country which has sometimes fed the insurgency just as the narcotics problem has done also," he says. ...
Afghan Defence Minister Gen Abdul Rahim Wardak talks of a close relationship with Gen Richards but remains unhappy with the short time that commanders are in place.
"Some new officer comes and it takes him some time to know the ground realities and the environment here and once he is fully able then I think he leaves," he says.
"This frequent changeover of forces and officers is definitely impacting on everything." ...
And Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid:
His summary, a common theme among commentators on Afghanistan, is that the source of the problem lies beyond the country's borders.
"There's no doubt that the Pakistani military has been very brazenly supporting the Taleban for the last five years.
"It is, in my opinion, totally impossible to defeat the Taleban, or to bring peace to southern Afghanistan, without dealing with the issue of Pakistan.
"I think at the moment the Taleban has the psychological ascendancy," he says.
"I think there's a widespread belief amongst a majority of Afghans that the Taleban are coming back."