Cameron, Obama to discuss troops withdrawal from Afghanistan

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Cameron, Obama to discuss troops withdrawal from Afghanistan

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David Cameron and Barack Obama will meet today to discuss troops withdrawal from Afghanistan.

14 March,2012 06:39 am

The Prime Minister David Cameron and the US President will talk in detail at the White House about a withdrawal strategy from the decade-old mission, but insisted there will be no “rush to the exit”.However, tensions rose as hundreds demonstrated in Afghanistan to demand the handing over of a US soldier who killed 16 civilians at the weekend, while the Taliban threatened reprisals.In a further twist Britain’s outgoing ambassador to Kabul, Sir William Patey, was reported to have admitted the presence of foreign troops could be part of the problem in the war-torn country. But military chiefs cautioned against any sudden draw-down in case progress made against the Taliban is lost. “They will argue now is the time to hold your nerve and to remember the blood, sweat and treasure that has been lost in Afghanistan over the last 10 years,” said a source.Support for the war is falling on both sides of the Atlantic, with three quarters of Britons believing it is “unwinnable”, according to a new poll.Mr Cameron and Mr Obama aim to bring home thousands of troops next year. UK forces are increasingly handing over the lead combat role to Afghan police and troops and this could be completed in the three districts of central Helmand, where the British military operate, by the end of this year or in the first half of next year.