Nato leaders aim to reassure onafghanistan’s future

NATO leaders sought to dispel fears of a rush for the exits in Afghanistan as the Western alliance met to chart a path out of the war that has lasted for more than a decade.

President Barack Obama, who once called the Afghan conflict a “war of necessity” but is now looking for an orderly way out, hosted the Nato summit in his home town of Chicago.

Thousands of protesters, some dressed as clowns and others bearing anti-war signs, with slogans “War = Debt, “Billions for jobs, not occupation” gathered in a lake-front park about two miles from the summit venue. Agroup of Iraq war veterans pledged to toss their medals over the security fence surrounding the summit site in a symbolic protest.

Mr Obama warned of hard days ahead in the country as the world leaders discussed their next steps in Afghanistan: preparing for elections and finding money to support Afghan security forces at a time when member nations are dealing with tight budgets and waning public support for the war.

They insisted the fighting coalition will remain effective despite the plans of newly elected French President Francois Hollande to pull combat troops out early.

“There will be no rush for the exits,” Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said. “Our goal, our strategy, our timetable remain unchanged.”

Mr Rasmussen denied there were fresh cracks in the alliance. He suggested a deal will emerge for France to move into a noncombat role but continue to support the mission.

After meeting the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Mr Obama said that the end of the war was in sight but added: “We still have a lot of work to do and there will be great challenges ahead. The loss of life continues in Afghanistan and there will be hard days ahead.”

Mr Karzai thanked Americans for “your taxpayer money” and said his country looked forward to the day it was “no longer a burden” on the international community.

David Cameron later insisted Afghan forces would be able to prevent their country again becoming a haven for terrorists after international forces pulled out.

The Prime Minister said “one way or the other” the majority of British troops would be home by the end of 2014. His comments come after a senior official disclosed that a “small number” of British troops – most probably special forces – could remain in a counter-terrorism role.

It is the first time anyone in government has raised the prospect of any form of combat role for British troops after 2014, ministers having previously said any remaining troops would simply be there to train and mentor the Afghan forces.