May 19, 2013
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama says the U.S. role in Afghanistan will shift to a support role later this spring and he will soon get recommendations from his top military advisers on U.S. troop drawdowns.
Obama says in a joint news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai that any agreement on troop drawdowns must include an immunity agreement in which US troops are not subjected to Afghan law.
Obama says the path of the U.S. military remains clear and the war is moving toward a "responsible end" in 2014.
The two leaders met at the White House on the future of the U.S. role in Afghanistan and the 66,000 American troops serving there.
The U.S. military mission will shift from combat to support in the spring, a few months ahead of schedule.
