CHICAGO, May 21 (Reuters) - NATO leaders sealed a landmark agreement on Monday to hand control of Afghanistan
over to its own security forces by the middle of next year, putting the
Western alliance on an "irreversible" path out of an unpopular,
decade-long war.
A NATO summit in Chicago formally endorsed a U.S.-backed
strategy that calls for a gradual exit of foreign combat troops
by the end of 2014 but left major questions unanswered about how
to prevent a slide into chaos and a Taliban resurgence after the
allies are gone.
The two-day meeting of the 28-nation alliance marked a
milestone in a war sparked by the Sept. 11 attacks that has
spanned three U.S. presidential terms and even outlasted al
Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
President Barack Obama and NATO partners sought to show
their war-weary voters the end is in sight in Afghanistan - a
conflict that has strained Western budgets as well as patience -
while at the same time trying to reassure Afghans that they will
not be abandoned.
A decision by France's new President Francois Hollande to
pull out French troops by the end of December - two years ahead
of NATO's timetable - has raised fears that other allies may
also think about a rush to the exits.
"Our nations and the world have a vital interest in the
success of this mission," Obama told a summit session on
Afghanistan. "I am confident ... that we can advance that goal
today and responsibly bring this war to an end."
Alliance leaders, in a final communique, ratified plans for
the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force to hand
over command of all combat missions to Afghan forces by the
middle of 2013 and for the withdrawal of most of the 130,000
foreign troops by the end of 2014.
The statement deemed it an "irreversible" transition to full
security responsibility for fledgling Afghan troops, and said
NATO's mission in 2014 would shift to a training and advisory
role. "This will not be a combat mission," it said.
Doubts remain, however, whether Afghan forces will have the
capability to stand up against a still-potent Taliban insurgency
that Western forces have failed to defeat in nearly 11 years of
fighting.
GETTING HOME SAFELY
NATO diplomats said thinking had moved to the logistical
challenge of getting a multinational army that size out of the
Afghan mountains and deserts and back home - safely and with
their equipment.
They said the aim was to sign a framework agreement with
Afghanistan's northern neighbor, Uzbekistan, to allow "reverse
transit" of NATO supplies from Afghanistan.
NATO has also been trying to persuade Pakistan
to reopen its territory to NATO supplies, which Islamabad has blocked
since NATO forces killed 24 Pakistani soldiers forces in a cross-border
incident last year..
But a deal was not expected to be clinched by the end of the
summit on Monday.
Mehmet Fatih Ceylan, the senior Turkish foreign ministry
official responsible for NATO, said Pakistan, long a crucial
route for moving supplies into Afghanistan, would be a main way
out for Western forces.
"Countries in the region should also help our efforts for
taking people back, together with the materials and other
equipment," he told Reuters. "It's a big challenge ... and this
is a new dimension people are focusing on now - how to take them
safe and secure back home."
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari was a last-minute
addition to the list of leaders at the summit in Obama's home
town, but showed no signs of budging on the supply routes.
The U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, told
Reuters he was confident a deal would eventually be struck, but
"whether it's in days or weeks, I don't know."
Frictions remain between NATO and Pakistan over Taliban
guerrillas who are still finding sanctuary in Pakistan, in spite
of Islamabad's professed support for the alliance's mission.
NATO has also been seeking to secure long-term funding for
the Afghan police and army, whose ability to battle the Taliban
is vital for the alliance's goal of a smooth exit and future
Afghan stability.
The United States is unwilling to foot the entire annual
bill to maintain the forces after 2014, which is estimated at
$4.1 billion, and has been seeking pledges from allies of $1.3
billion, despite austerity measures brought on by Europe's
financial crisis.
Many of the leaders in Chicago came directly from a summit
of the Group of Eight wealthy nations that vowed to take all
necessary measures to contain the European debt crisis.
NATO
Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said a number of allies had
announced concrete contributions. These have included $100 million
annually from Britain, $120 million from Italy, $100 million from Australia and $20 million for Turkey.
While he said the summit was "not a pledging conference,"
Rasmussen was "optimistic about reaching the overall goal."
Seeking re-election in November, Obama has sought to dispel
Americans' concerns that shaky allies will leave U.S. troops to
fight alone.
Hollande vowed to stick to his election pledge to withdraw
French troops by the year's end, which helped the Socialist
leader win the presidency earlier this month.
Perhaps in return, the Americans are asking for around 200 million euros ($256 million) a year from France for the Afghan armed forces, a French diplomatic source said.
Canada's Globe and Mail said Canada would announce financial
assistance for Afghan forces on Monday, but would resist
pressure to extend a military training mission. The newspaper
said the United States had been pressing Canada to commit $125
million a year for three years after 2014.
Heavy security is in place in Chicago and police clashed on
Sunday with thousands of anti-war protesters and arrested
dozen
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