Washington, Shawwal 07, 1431, Sept 16, SPA -- NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan will be gradual and not precipitous next August, the commander of international forces there, U.S. General David Petraeus, said Wednesday. Asked about an exit date, Petraeus told National Public Radio (NPR) “the idea of some date out there is not unprecedented,” noting past practice in Iraq. But the idea of an August date for a total withdrawal is not correct, he said. --SPA 12:11 LOCAL TIME 09:11 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/817541