At the NATO Summit in Chicago Monday, President Barack Obama spoke about ending the war in Afghanistan before a meeting with heads of state.
He emphasized efforts to meet the deadline for NATO’s military withdrawal by the end of 2014.
“Two years ago, in Lisbon, our nations agreed on a framework for transition in Afghanistan that would allow us to responsibly wind down the war,” Obama said. “We agreed that this transition to Afghan lead for security would begin in 2011 and that it would conclude in 2014. At the same time, we said that we would seek a long-term partnership with Afghanistan and the Afghan people.”
NATO will move into a support role as Afghanis take control of all combat operations. Obama said 75 percent of Afghan citizens now live in areas where Afghan forces are taking control of military matters.
“We all remain comitted to our goal; a secure and democratic Afghanistan in a stable region,” said Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Beyond the transfer of combat operations, Obama said another focus of the meeting was to cement the work NATO has done so far in its withdrawal. He also highlighted establishing and securing the partnership between NATO and Afghanistan.
“Today is also an opportunity to ensure our hard-won progress is preserved,” he said. “The Strategic Partnership Agreement that President Karzai and I signed in Kabul ensures that as Afghans stand up they will not stand alone. Today, we can agree on NATO’s long-term relationship with Afghanistan beyond 2014, including our support of Afghan security forces.”
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