President Barack Obama's Afghanistan war review is expected to cement his stand that the United States can begin withdrawing its troops next summer and complete a handover of security to Afghan forces by the end of 2014, senior U.S. officials say.

The yearlong analysis, to be announced by the president Thursday, is expected to report progress .
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Tuesday the report leaves no doubt that the war is going better now than it was before Obama increased the U.S. presence in Afghanistan.

"I think you'll see in the review, when a summary is made public, that because of the increased troop level, you had an opportunity to push back on the Taliban in important areas of the country — something that wasn't happening until more forces were added," he said.

Gibbs said the report contains few surprises. In addition to concerns over havens in Pakistan, the review outlines continuing challenges in strengthening the capacity of the Afghan government, he said.

The report will also show progress that has been made in halting the momentum of the Taliban, degrading senior al-Qaida leaders, and improving cooperation with the Pakistani government, Gibbs said.