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Obama pledges to wind down war in Afghanistan
May 01, 2012
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President Obama wrapped up a surprise visit to Afghanistan tonight by promoting a new security agreement and pledging to wind down the decade-long war over the next two-and-a-half years.
"By the end of 2014, the Afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country," Obama said during a nationally televised speech from Bagram Air Base near Kabul, capping a six-hour visit that had been shrouded in secrecy.
The president described the transition as "a future in which war ends, and a new chapter begins."
Obama cited the one-year anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda terrorist leader who planned the 9/11 attacks from a base in Afghanistan. Victory in the war on terrorism that began after 9/11 is within reach, he said: "This time of war began in Afghanistan, and this is where it will end.
"With faith in each other, and our eyes fixed on the future, let us finish the work at hand and forge a just and lasting peace," Obama concluded.
Obama said that "international troops will continue to train, advise and assist the Afghans, and fight alongside them when needed" after the 2014 turnover. "But we will shift into a support role as Afghans step forward," he said.
Security blanketed the trip that Obama took from Washington to Afghanistan under cover of night; the president delivered his speech at 4 a.m. local time.
Noting the recent end of the war in Iraq, Obama said that "here in the predawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon. ... The number of our troops in harm's way has been cut in half, and more will soon be coming home. We have a clear path to fulfill our mission in Afghanistan, while delivering justice to al-Qaeda."
Earlier, at the presidential palace in Kabul, Obama and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai signed a 10-year "strategic partnership" that takes effect with the scheduled end of U.S. combat operations in late 2014. Obama told his Afghanistan counterpart, "Together, we're now committed to replacing war with peace."
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Obama pledges to wind down war in Afghanistan
May 01, 2012
Article Link
President Obama wrapped up a surprise visit to Afghanistan tonight by promoting a new security agreement and pledging to wind down the decade-long war over the next two-and-a-half years.
"By the end of 2014, the Afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country," Obama said during a nationally televised speech from Bagram Air Base near Kabul, capping a six-hour visit that had been shrouded in secrecy.
The president described the transition as "a future in which war ends, and a new chapter begins."
Obama cited the one-year anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda terrorist leader who planned the 9/11 attacks from a base in Afghanistan. Victory in the war on terrorism that began after 9/11 is within reach, he said: "This time of war began in Afghanistan, and this is where it will end.
"With faith in each other, and our eyes fixed on the future, let us finish the work at hand and forge a just and lasting peace," Obama concluded.
Obama said that "international troops will continue to train, advise and assist the Afghans, and fight alongside them when needed" after the 2014 turnover. "But we will shift into a support role as Afghans step forward," he said.
Security blanketed the trip that Obama took from Washington to Afghanistan under cover of night; the president delivered his speech at 4 a.m. local time.
Noting the recent end of the war in Iraq, Obama said that "here in the predawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon. ... The number of our troops in harm's way has been cut in half, and more will soon be coming home. We have a clear path to fulfill our mission in Afghanistan, while delivering justice to al-Qaeda."
Earlier, at the presidential palace in Kabul, Obama and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai signed a 10-year "strategic partnership" that takes effect with the scheduled end of U.S. combat operations in late 2014. Obama told his Afghanistan counterpart, "Together, we're now committed to replacing war with peace."
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