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Afghan minister: 'We are not an ungrateful nation'

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Amid falling U.S. support for the Afghan war, Afghanistan Defense Minister Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak is visiting Washington and assuring officials that American efforts there are appreciated.Wardak said Tuesday that \we are not an ungrateful nation\ and that Afghans \acknowledge and honor your sacrifices.\Wardak spoke at the opening of a mid-day meeting with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other top U.S. and Afghan officials in the Pentagon.Panetta said the group would discuss the number of Afghan security forces needed in the near term and future years, as well as an agreement for a continued U.S.-Afghan partnership after 2014 when the U.S. plans to end combat operations.