US President Barack Obama stressed that US forces in Afghanistan will shift to a very different role as Afghan forces take the lead in providing security in their country, but stopped short of saying how many US troops might remain after 2014.
Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai discussed the transition to Afghans leading security during meetings at the White House, but Obama said he was still discussing troop numbers with his military commanders.
In order for a troop presence to remain after NATO operations wind down in 2014, the issue of immunity for US soldiers must be agreed and Afghans must agree to the terms, Obama said.
Karzai said with other issues now decided, he could discuss immunity for US troops with the Afghan people. He said the number of US troops left in the country was an issue for the United States to
decide and declined to express preference for a set figure.