Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, steps down as NATO cements pullout

Updated 3:30 p.m. ET

(CBS News) U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker, a veteran diplomat who has previously served as the American envoy in Iraq, Pakistan and Syria, is stepping down from his post.

Acting embassy spokesman Mark Thornburg told the Associated Press on Tuesday morning that "Ambassador Crocker has confirmed, with regret, that he will be leaving Kabul this summer."

Later, State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said Crocker said he would depart for "health reasons" following international donor conferences for Afghanistan this summer in Tokyo and Kabul. In a statement, Nuland said his "tenure has been marked by enormous achievements."

The surprise news of Crocker's departure was first reported by CBS News chief White House correspondent Norah O'Donnell on Monday night, hours after the conclusion of the NATO summit in Chicago, where Crocker was in attendance with President Obama negotiating an agreement for drawing down foreign troops and continuing to support the Afghan military.  (Above, watch Norah O'Donnell report from the summit for the "CBS Evening News")

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At the summit, Mr. Obama and other heads of state announced that the Afghan military will take the lead in combat missions by mid-2013 and bear the full responsibility for providing security for the nation by the end of 2014, winding down the U.S.-led war that started in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

U.S. officials didn't give O'Donnell an immediate reason for Crocker's departure. He had been looking to leave Afghanistan for some time, O'Donnell reports.

"It's a tough place to serve," a senior State Department official told O'Donnell.

After leaving the foreign service in 2009, Crocker came out of retirement to go back to Afghanistan last July. His State Department biography notes that he reopened the U.S. Embassy in Kabul in January 2002 and served as ambassador to Pakistan and later to Iraq under President George W. Bush and as ambassador to Syria under President Clinton.

[decotoguy]

"Remember A Good Master is like a Magician,he hypnotiz his flock
of sheep and suggest that no harm will be done to them as they die."
May I Encourage every American man and woman to join the Military and be part of the multinational counterinsurgency mission, and SAVE AFGHANISTAN from Terrorism.
Or,if you will,just be part of history participate in this great
American Suicidal Mission called AFGHANISTAN.

[matt6052]

This happens every time Barack Obama makes an announcement. The French are incredibly stupid and hung on in Indo-China for years after they should have left. Even now though, the French have had enough of Afghanistan.

The Soviets invaded Afghanistan in December 1979 and nearly a decade later in November 1989, their empire collapsed. America invaded Afghanistan in 2001 and now just over a decade later, our deficit is 100% of GDP. Why? Well, Capitalism is so much better than Communism that we could last a full decade there before collapsing.

[NotPartyControlled]

Think about it first.

[forumcomments]

What impact will the French leaving soon have? What country will replace the thousands of troops?

[smittyc]

Rats leaving a sinking ship. Crocker is obviously fleeing for his life and even Karzai has stated he will not serve another term. Obama showed his lack of understanding of the situation in Afghanistan when he ignored the advice of a senior diplomat with decades of experience, Holbrooke who told him get America out of Afghanistan, we are facing disaster the way you are running the show. Holbrooke passed away a while back, his dying words were get out of Afghanistan. With Iraq, Libya, and Egypt unraveling and now under military rule and no central government in sight it is only a matter of time before Afghanistan and the entire middle east for that matter will be totally unstable. The human suffering, out of control violence and death in the middle east did not exist prior to Obamas entrance on the world stage, he should have ended the wars and brought our guys home upon election like he promised during his campaign.

[GeneralMorals]

There are hate crimes happening right here in the United States that are being ignored for these ridiculous stories on a war that doesn't exist.

How much more do you think that the American people are going to put up with your lies, CBS?

The press wasn't established as a tool for the police - to lie, threaten others, or conceal evidence.

You've given us cause to sue you as a nation, and each media corporation that deliberately harms the state of country by your lies, your propaganda, and your concealing actual crimes by public officials here on domestic soil.

That is what Hitler's Germany did and you are repeating these crimes right here in the US.

Better start mitigating real soon.

[democracy8]

What the heck are you talking about?

[realtimecoffee]

I'm with you Dem8