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Obama and Cameron: Both US and UK commited to mission in Afghanistan
“The situation is considerably improved,” Cameron said, and the goal of keeping Afghanistan from again becoming a terrorist haven is achievable by the end of 2014.
Following the summer fighting season, Obama said NATO allies would look at how to continue drawing down forces at a gradual pace.
The Obama and Cameron meeting came in advance of May’s NATO summit in Chicago, where a decision on the timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan is expected to be confirmed.
The White House discussions follow the weekend killings of 16 Afghan civilians, allegedly by a lone U.S. soldier, and the deaths of six British troops last week in a roadside bomb blast, the largest loss of life in a single incident for British forces in Afghanistan since 2006.
On Iran, Obama insisted there is still “time and space” for a diplomatic solution, in lieu of a military strike to set back Iran’s progress toward a possible bomb, but said “the window for diplomacy is shrinking.”
“We are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon,” Obama said, adding that he had sent a message “personally” to the Iranian leadership that it should re-enter international arms talks in good faith.
“Tehran must understand that it cannot escape or evade the choice before it. Meet your international obligations or face the consequences.”
