NATO said Tuesday it fully respected US General John Allen's decision not to take up command of the alliance's military forces, after weeks of speculation over his future. In Washington, US President Barack Obama said Allen would retire instead of becoming Supreme Allied Commander in Europe so that he could take care of his family after a 19-month tour in Afghanistan.

President Barack Obama said Tuesday that General John Allen will retire instead of accepting the top job at NATO, as he seeks to take care of his family after a 19-month tour in Afghanistan. Speculation had been rife for weeks that Allen, who led the war effort in Afghanistan for 19 months, would not take up Obama's offer to serve as the alliance's supreme commander, even after he was cleared of wrongdoing in a drama over emails to a Florida socialite.

The Pentagon said Wednesday the former top US commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, will be given time to rest before his next assignment amid reports he has decided not to accept an offer to become the next top NATO commander. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta could not confirm if Allen wanted to drop out of the running for the NATO job but said he had advised him to take a break after finishing an arduous stint in Kabul. "I had the opportunity to meet with him yesterday," said Panetta, at what was likely his last press conference as Pentagon chief.