Nato to hand Afghan forces the lead for security from mid-2013

Chicago: Nato leaders agreed on Monday to hand Afghan forces the lead for security from mid-2013 as they rush to end the unpopular war and ensure Afghanistan can ward off the Taliban after foreign troops leave.

In a Chicago summit declaration, US President Barack Obama and his 27 military allies confirmed plans to withdraw their combat troops by the end of 2014 and leave behind a training mission.

The leaders declared that the transition process was "irreversible" and would put Afghan forces "in the lead for security nationwide" by mid-2013, allowing US-led troops to gradually shift their focus from combat to support.

"We are gradually and responsibly drawing down our forces to complete the ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] mission by December 31, 2014," they said in a declaration.

As the Taliban remain resilient after a decade of war, Nato leaders sought to reassure Afghan President Hamid Karzai that the international community would not abandon his country after 130,000 foreign combat troops are gone.

A day after anti-war protesters clashed with police near the summit site, allies ordered military officers to begin planning a post-2014 mission that will focus on training, advising and assisting Afghan troops and special forces.

The allies were to meet with their 22 partners in the Afghan mission as well as Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari yesterday.