troop withdrawal

Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday that her country’s troops would completely withdraw from Afghanistan one year earlier than originally planned.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned on Friday that Paris could withdraw all of its troops from Afghanistan after four unarmed French troops were were killed by an Afghan soldier.

Lashkar Gah is the fourth of seven areas that are due to see security control transfer hands this week.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai assured international officials in Kabul he still plans to take charge of handling security.

An international conference in Kabul has endorsed a plan for Afghan forces to take the lead in securing the country by 2014.