Camp Bastion: British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed confidence on Monday that a security agreement will be signed to allow a continuing allied training mission in Afghanistan after 2014, as he declared Britain had accomplished its mission in the South Asian country.
Cameron was in Afghanistan for a pre-Christmas visit with U.K. soldiers, who form the second-largest NATO contingent fighting to stop the Taliban insurgency, ahead of a planned withdrawal of all British combat troops by the end of next year.
He stressed that Britain would stick to that timetable to withdraw all troops by the end of 2014, but noted the importance of a deal to ensure the framework for training missions and counterterrorism support, to ensure security through the transition and after 2014, when the NATO mandate expires and all foreign forces must depart.
“That's clearly in Afghanistan's interest, that's in America and NATO's interest, too, and so I'm confident that after some discussions an agreement will be signed,” he told reporters at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province.
