NATO leaders agree on framework to wind down Afghan missionBy Scott Wilson and Karen DeYoung,
Updated: Monday, May 21, 8:33 PMCHICAGO — NATO leaders endorsed a plan Monday to wind down the international combat mission in Afghanistan, giving President Obama a concrete exit strategy from an unpopular war as he seeks reelection partly on his record as an effective commander in chief.
The strategy, built around the steady withdrawal of American and other foreign troops from Afghanistan through 2014, holds risks for Obama and could threaten the gains secured by U.S. forces over more than a decade of war.
It is also complicated by an unresolved dispute with Pakistan, which has refused to reopen ground routes vital to a swift departure of international forces in the months ahead. Obama acknowledged “real challenges” with the Islamabad government.
But the plan marks a clear turn for international forces into the final stretch of a war that began after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Afghanistan is the second of two wars that Obama inherited on taking office, and his ability to bring it to a close as public opposition rises across party lines provides a boost to his campaign prospects.
“We leave Chicago with a clear road map,” he said at a news conference concluding the two-day summit. “This alliance is committed to bringing the war in Afghanistan to a responsible end.”
