CHICAGO (AP) — As President Barack Obama and fellow NATO leaders herald the coming end of the deeply unpopular Afghanistan war, they face the grim reality of two more years of fighting ahead and more of their troops sure to die in combat.
NATO leaders will meet Monday to reassert their commitment to ending the war in 2014. And they will solidify another milestone for next year, when Afghan forces take the lead in combat missions.
The leaders have also voiced hope that a decade of war in Afghanistan will be followed by a decade of transition to peace and stability.
But some NATO countries want to end their combat commitments early. And with alliance forces still committed to fighting through 2014, the sacrifices are far from over.
