US to discuss Afghan exit

At a Lisbon summit, later this week, NATO is expected to promise long-term commitment to Afghanistan’s security, the US said on Tuesday, while announcing a drawdown schedule for Afghanistan ending in 2014.

At a Lisbon summit, later this week, NATO is expected to promise long-term commitment to Afghanistan’s security, the US said on Tuesday, while announcing a drawdown schedule for Afghanistan ending in 2014.

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Canada, a coalition partner and a NATO ally, might, however, have already taken the lead by announcing earlier in the day it will be ending its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2011 and will retain troops there for training purposes.

The US welcomed the decision. “Canada is at the forefront of the overall transition in the mission over the coming years,” Doug Lute, special assistant to the President on Pakistan and Afghanistan, said.

Afghanistan is coming up on the second day of the two-day NATO summit starting Friday. All 48 Afghanistan coalition partners will be attending the summit, and not just the 28 NATO members.

NATO is expected to discuss and endorse a draw down plan that starts in 2011 with the “responsible transition” of security to Afghan leadership under closely monitored conditions across the country till 2014.

The US is trying to address a widespread concern, that once it exists, it will wash its hands off the country as it did before and let it slip back into the kind of chaos that gave rise to the Taliban. And pave way for Pakistan to a bigger role there, a fear often raised by India.

“Now, in order, during this process, to reassure the Afghans that as they stand up, they will not have to stand alone, NATO is expected to endorse a enduring partnership with Afghanistan,” Lute said.

And that “enduring partnership” is going to take the shape of sustained “commitment to the development of Afghan national security forces”.