So we have not put forward any artificial timeline in terms of how long this will take.

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"I don't think anybody has any idea how long this will take, " Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters Monday.

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It is impossible to predict how long this will take.

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No one knows how long this will take.

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It is unknown how long this process will take.

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Nokia is one of the larger smartphone makers to adapt this technology, but how long will it take for Samsung and Apple to follow suit?

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And what is more, scores of African soldiers seem to be paying the ultimate price to contain this growing threat and it is difficult to gauge how long it will take to end it all.

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The question more likely is how long will it take them to buy or build what they need to fine-tune their capabilities in this arena?

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