mr. karzai? it is insulting question to ask the nation of 30 million people. who was mr. karzai nine years ago? anything, these eight or nine years have produced opportunities that others have grown into credible political positions that can create systems that can sustain and last beyond personalities. >> on the need to question. with other countries have made a commitment. >> there are two or three things that were going on three years ago. people should not misinterpret that. the media is talking about u.s. withdrawal in 2011. it is -- we have to be careful how we phrase that. it is not a u.s. withdrawal. it is the beginning of probably a long process and yet australia, canada, and holland have had a schedule of withdrawal long before that. in 2005 or 2006, they announced the schedule. one of them was leaving the end of this year and one is living next year and two of them are leaving next year -- one is leaving next year and two of them arliving next year. there is no relation between that and what mr. obama announced a few months ago. >> any other questions here? plea

mr. karzai and his government?> with respect to the very last point of that, senator, having talked with president karzai indeed about the meeting of july 2011, just as i started out today's session by explaining as precisely as i could what that means. that it's a message of urgency that went along with the huge additional message of commitment. senator lierman reminded us of the words vital national interest used by the president with respect to afghanistan. and again, july 2011, the point at which a process begins that is based on conditions to begin the responsible drawdown of the surge forces at a rate to be determined by those conditions at that time based on advice and so forth. and also a process to begin transitioning some tasks to afghan forces and officials. but i am not sure that i share the characterization of the headline at least of -- about president karzai's feelings. i base that on conversations with president karzai. a number of them in the past month and a half or so in kabul, from kandahar and

mr. karzai and his government? >> with respect to the very last point of that, senator, having talked with president karzai indeed about the meeting of july 2011, just as i started out today's session by explaining as precisely as i could what that means. that it's a message of urgency that went along with the huge additional message of commitment. senator lieberman reminded us of the words vital national interest used by the president with respect to afghanistan. and again, july 2011, the point at which a process begins that is based on conditions to begin the responsible drawdown of the surge forces at a rate to be determined by those conditions at that time. based on advice and so forth. and also a process to begin transitioning some tasks to afghan forces and officials. but i am not sure that i share the characterization of the headline at least of -- about president karzai's feelings. i base that on conversations with president karzai. a number of them in the past month and a half or so in kabul, from kandahar

mr. karzai? it is a very insulting question to ask a nation that has 30 million people, who was mr. zai nine years ago? no one asked that question. nationally, there are people -- if anything, these eight or nine years have produced opportunities that have grown into credible positions that can create systems that can sustain and last beyond personalities. >> specifically, with other countries have made a commitment -- >> yes, unfortunately, there are two or three things going on three years ago, the people should not listen to that, because the media is talking about u.s. withdrawal in -- the people should not misinterpret that, because the media is talking about u.s. withdrawal in 2011. it is the beginning of probably a long process, and yet, australia, canada, and holland had scheduled withdrawal from afghanistan long before that. in 2005 or 2006, they announced the schedule one of the -- they announced the schedule. one of them was leaving this year, two next year. that was announced a long time ago. there is no relation between that and what mr. obama has announced a few months

mr. karzai? it is insulting question to ask the nation of 30 million people. who was mr. karzai nine years ago? if anything, these eight or nine years have produced opportunities that others have grown into credible political positions that can create systems that can sustain and last beyond personalities. >> on the need to question. with other countries have made a commitment. >> there are two or three things that were going on three years ago. people should not misinterpret that. the media is talking about u.s. withdrawal in 2011. it is -- we have to be careful how we phrase that. it is not a u.s. withdrawal. it is the beginning of probably a long process and yet australia, canada, and holland have had a schedule of withdrawal long before that. in 2005 or 2006, they announced the schedule. one of them was leaving the end of this year and one is living next year and two of them are leaving next year -- one is leaving next year and two of them are living next year. there is no relation between that and what mr. obama announced a few months ago. >> any other questions here?

mr. karzai? it is insulting question to ask the nation of 30 million people. who was mr. arzai nine years ago? if anything, these eight or nine years have produced opportunities that others have grown into credible political positions that can create systems that can sustain and last beyond personalities. >> on the need to question. with other countries have made a commitment. >> there are two or three things that were going on three years ago. people should not misinterpret that. the media is talking about u.s. withdrawal in 2011. it is -- we have to be careful how we phrase that. it is not a u.s. withdrawal. it is the beginning of probably a long process and yet australia, canada, and holland have had a schedule of withdrawal long before that. in 2005 or 2006, they announced the schedule. one of them was leaving the end of this year and one is living next year and two of them are leaving next year -- one is leaving next year and two of them are living next year. there is no relation between that and what mr. obama announced a few months ago. >> any other questions here?

mr. president. one of the noneconomic issues to cover here was afghanistan, and i am curious whether you believe that the talks that pakistan is reportedly brokering between the taliban and president karzai of afghanistan all promise, or to the concern you, and a related question. a related question. do you agree with the new prime minister of great britain, david cameron? we can be totally out of afghanistan by 2015 and turn the lights out? >> i am not sure that is a quote from david, but i will take the second question first. we have been in afghanistan now for nine years. next year, will be there for a decade. this is now america's longest war, and what that means is all of us have an interest not in occupying afghanistan but an interest on making sure that stand on its own to the defeat when it comes to security issues, and is not a base for terrorist activity launched against the united states of america. i think we're going to have to provide assistance to the afghanistan for a long time to come. they are still working with a national government. they are in a very tough neighborhood. they are a very important country, so a whole range of issues, setting up courts, setting up effec

mr. forsberg, akkar car scombly, innyour research and -- karzai, in your research, do you think he's connected to have a kandahar security operation where they consolidate a number of the different people thaa have been adding security through the ssuthern areas so far? >> there have been several media reports to that extent, and if you look at his 3 linkages between him and some in the kandahar security force. saying that administrator car sdemry asked to take a role in keeping the formation of the kandahar security force. p> thank you. this. if i'm hearing you right, arr you saying that the united states' straaegy would be better served if we took our military forces and used them to protect the transportation lines and that that could open up a whole host of opposed to paying off warlords -por others but to use our orc and concentrate them on using the transportation lines free and then using it for the regional, local and continental trade? >> yes. keeping open -- the opening and mainttnance of the transportation corridors should >> thank you. colonel, do you have an opiniin >> sir, if you

mr. president. one of the non-economic issues you've covered here was afghanistan. i was curious whether you believe that the talk that pakistan is reportedly brokering between president karzai and the taliban concern you. and do you agree with the new prime minister of great britain, david cameron, that we can be totally out of afghanistan by 2015 and turn the lights all? >> i am not sure that that is a quote from david, but i will take second question first. we've been in afghanistan now for nine years. next year we will have been there for a decade. this is no america's longest war. what that means is that all of us have an interest not an occupying afghanistan, but making sure that afghanistan is stable, can stand on its own 2 feet when it comes to security issues, and is not a base for terrorist activities launched against the united states of america. now what think we're going to need to provide assistance to afghanistan for a long time to come. they are still building up a national government. they are in a tough neighborhood. they are a very poor country. on a whole range of issues, from economic development, setting up courts, setting up effective police forces, a

president karzai and the britiih press -- all the questions from the afggan press corps for the women. i thouuht that was a sign in and %+++tself. >> thank you, mr. speaker. recognition of us to recognize the importancc of this. do you have the commitment of our coalition partners that they that we can only lead oneage security as established? the population in afghanistan has to believe we have the commitment to see the job through. by the honorable gentleman makes -- >> the honorable gentleman makes a veryygood point. the canadian and dutch hhve made their own decisions about it is important to do what we can to encourage other nato allies -- i met with representatives of the danish and the estonian military awhile back -- all of our nato partners remain committed to the task, particularly when the number of troops has increased. there is a real chance of delivering a proper counterinsurgency strategy that protect the people, pushes the taliban out, and delivers a basic level of tability. >> andrew miller. >> the prime minister will be aware that the first battalion includes many of my constituents.%+ i thank you for your statement today. he q

mr. krishnas said earlier today, once you get to multilateral negotiations, it slows down considerably. we are definitely considered recommitted to the consideration of india. >> afghanistan is obviously a big focus for both countries, and president karzaihas beguna proposal to reach out to the taliban to try to bring them into peace talks. how to both of you see the end game moving forward in afghanistan? had india and pakistan balance their interests in the country, and what we see for the taliban as a potential future partner there? >> i will begin. i don't think that the complicated piece jurga has concluded. as i am understand it, there have been more than 50 discussion groups that are under way, and reports are being made at the end of each day. then the leaders of the jurga will be reporting to president karzai, and all that will be taken into account. we have been very clear in our approach that we think that there is basis for reintegrating taliban fighters back into society, but we do not believe anyone should be either reintegrated or reconciled on a political basis without renouncing al qaeda, renouncing violence, committing to live by the laws and constitution of the nation of afghanistan. there is no military solution to m

mr. president. one of the non-economic issues that you covered here was afghanistan. i believe you said that the talks that pakistan is reportedly brokering between the taliban and president karzai hold promise? and a related question, not a second question. >> [laughter] >> do you agree with david cameron that we can be totally out of afghanistan in 2015 and turn the lights off? >> i'm not sure that is a statement from david. but i will take the second question first. we have been in afghanistan for nine years. next year, we will have been there for a decade. this is now america's longest war and what that means is that all of us have an interest not an occupying afghanistan, but in making sure afghanistan is stable, can stand on its own 2 feet when it comes to security issues, and is not a base for terrorist activities launched against the united states of america. i think that we are going to need to provide assistance to afghanistan for a long time to come. they are still building up a national government. they are in a very tough neighborhood. very very poor country. on a whole range of issues, from economic development, setting up courts, setting up effective police forces