Kabul conference to accept 2014 as hand-over date to Afghans
20 Jul 2010
Kabul: Afghan president Hamid Karzai on Tuesday reaffirmed his commitment for Afghan security forces to take charge of their nation's security by 2014 even as he urged the international community to distribute development aid through government agencies.
The one day international donors conference wound down to a close today registering an impressive presence from a large number of countries with close to 40 foreign ministers and the United Nations secretary general Ban ki Moon in attendance.
"I remain determined that our Afghan national security forces will be responsible for all military and law enforcement operations throughout our country by 2014." This will be more than three years after US president Barack Obama's July 2011 date for the start of an American troop drawdown.
The United States is currently in the process of affecting a 'surge' in the war-torn country and at its peak it is estimated that it will have close to 100,000 troops here.
In a surprising departure from earlier conciliatory notes struck by him president Karzai described the Taliban as "a vicious common enemy. " The conference has approved approaches to be made to Taliban elements willing to reconcile with the Afghan constitution in recognition of the fact that the insurgents are unlikely to be defeated militarily.
The war in Afghanistan has dragged on for nine years now.
