NATO timetables withdrawal from Afghanistan

NATO will hand over the lead role in combat operations to Afghan forces across the country by mid-2013, alliance leaders said on Sunday as they charted a path out of a war that has lost public support and strained budgets in Western nations.

The US-led international military withdrawal from Afghanistan is dominating the Chicago summit.


NATO's plan is to shift full responsibility for security across the country to Afghan forces by the middle of next year and then withdraw most of the alliance's 130,000 combat troops by the end of 2014. The strategy for a gradual exit is aimed at holding together the allied forces following France's decision to withdraw its troops early. An election promise President François Hollande has vowed to maintain.

Meeting with the Afghan President on the summit sidelines, US President Barack Obama said there are "hard days ahead" in Afghanistan. Looking toward the November presidential election, Obama - who once called the Afghan conflict a "war of necessity" – is now seeking to dispel the notion that shaky allies will leave U.S. troops alone to complete the mission that began over 10 years ago.

The Chicago summit has also attracted the attention of protesters. More than 45 of them were arrested during clashes with police in the city on Sunday.