ARTICLE: Gates: 'No deadlines' on troop withdrawal, By Karen DeYoung, Washington Post, December 4, 2009

Can't get any more clear than that: our withdrawals may begin in the summer of 2011, but 2-3 years naturally involved, and there's no drop-dead date for the complete withdrawal.

Gates is no dummy: this is the core of his bet on shifting the U.S. military to SysAdmin capabilities.