EU pushes for more autonomy amid Afghanistan fallout

Still reeling from the European Union's shortcomings in Afghanistan, officials from the 27-nation bloc met Thursday to discuss ways to improve their response to future crises and not be so reliant on the US.

European ministers of defense and foreign affairs gathered in Slovenia for talks also involving NATO and U.N. officials to look at ways to improve the bloc's operational engagement and develop a rapid response force capable of operating in difficult military theaters.