President Obama and America’s NATO allies on Monday reaffirmed their plan to end the unpopular war in Afghanistan, pledging that Afghan forces would take control of the nation’s security more than a decade after the United States first invaded.
Capping the NATO summit in his hometown of Chicago, Obama declared that the allies had coalesced behind a “clear roadmap” to initiate the “next chapter” in Afghanistan.
“We’re now unified behind a plan to responsibly wind down the war in Afghanistan,” Obama said after two days of talks in which he pushed allies to contribute financially to help sustain the beleaguered nation.
In a joint statement, the cadre of NATO nations said that while they would remain in Afghanistan beyond 2014, it would “not be a combat mission.” The nations agreed that Afghan security forces would take control of combat operations next summer with NATO filling a support role.
Though leaders hailed the eventual end to the war in Afghanistan, no progress was made on re-opening supply routes from Pakistan to Afghanistan — a major source of tension between U.S. and Pakistani officials since Pakistan closed the lines in the wake of a U.S. airstrike that killed Pakistani forces.
Obama met with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai after the conference concluded Monday, but aides said the meeting provided little more than a photo opportunity for the leaders.
During the summit, Obama obtained assurances from skeptical allies that they would maintain their financial commitments to Afghanistan, even though some nations have contemplated ending their military agreements early amid public backlash over the war. Estimates show that Afghanistan will need $4 billion a year in foreign aid to sustain it.
Though the economy will dominate the presidential election this fall, the war in Afghanistan comes with political risks for Obama, who looked to bolster his commander-in-chief credentials at the NATO summit.
Two-thirds of Americans oppose the war, according to the most recent Associated Press poll, a sentiment showcased in the streets of Chicago as protesters railed against the prolonged military conflict.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has slammed the president for his handling of Afghanistan, saying that the decision to end the Afghan conflict by 2014 was dictated by political calculations rather than guidance from U.S. commanders on the ground.
As he ordered that the U.S. presence in Afghanistan be scaled back, Obama acknowledged the potential for deteriorating conditions in the unstable country but said the U.S. could not afford an unending commitment there.
“I don’t think there’s ever going to be an optimal point where we say this is done, this is perfect,” he said. “There’s a process and sometimes it’s a messy process.”
He added, “Are there risks involved with it? Absolutely.”
NATO leaders also had to deal with the price tag for allowing Afghan forces to lead the rebuilding of the war-torn nation.
U.S. officials said the United States and a group of nations not involved in the occupation will contribute $2.3 billion to that effort, with NATO allies pledging $1.3 billion and Afghanistan another $500 million.
