First and foremost, Afghanistan is no longer a safe haven for terrorists, which was a primary goal of Nato member states. Second, Nato forces in Afghanistan have been training and operating alongside Afghan national security forces (ANSF) for many years now, and these efforts are delivering tangible results. Three-quarters of Afghan citizens now live in areas increasingly protected by Afghan army and police – who number today close to 350,000.
Indeed, the capability and confidence of the ANSF has improved markedly over the last 18 months, to the point where it is making significant gains in the fight against the Taliban. As a result, this has been a particularly difficult summer for the insurgency, which has seen the elimination of two top-level commanders in the past few days alone. Over the next 28 months this progress will be expanded and solidified, so that the Afghan government will be fully in the lead for security by the end of 2014. This effort is on track and will succeed.
Thirdly, the entire international community has made specific pledges to partner with Afghanistan over the long-term.
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