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Inside President Obama's meeting with Afghan leader Karzai

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    Jennifer Griffin reports from the Pentagon

  • Duration 3:24
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-- Karl thank you.

American guns are supposed to go silent in Afghanistan at the end of next year.

Now the timetable for shifting US mission to a support role there is moving up.

The leaders of the two countries got together today at the White House national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin has the story.

It was the first.

When mr.

Obama committed to remaining Afghanistan after the end of combat operations in 2014.

That commitment by the White House appeared to Wayne recently.

With the president's national security team telling the Pentagon to send them recommendations that would involve no more than 9000 troops.

And leaking on the eve of Karzai's arrival at the White House was considering a zero option.

Starting this spring.

Our troops will have a different mission.

Training.

Advisor.

Assisting.

Afghan forces.

-- be historic moment today the president announced the entire combat mission would be transition ahead of schedule suggesting a potentially accelerated draw down.

Plants that worry many of the Pentagon as the president -- how many troops to leave behind.

The so called zero -- option of leaving no troops behind was never really an option for a pull off some observe.

It floated by the White House to ensure Karzai would grant immunity for US troops as part of a security agreement after 2014.

No where him.

Do we have any kind of certain security agreement.

-- a country without immunity for our troops and so I think President Karzai understands that -- really sat.

That the issue of immunity is.

-- very specific importance for the United States.

It's the quid pro quo for US troops to stay Karzai will return to Afghanistan with the promise that Afghan prisons will return to Afghan sovereignty.

And US forces will pull out of Afghan villages this spring.

The president he diverted attention from those asking whether eleven years of war were worth it by announcing army staff sergeant Clinton -- -- Who helped repel one of the largest and most vicious attacks on US forces in eastern Afghanistan in 2009.

Would receive the medal of honor.

After eleven years of war the Afghan president announced today the Taliban will be given a seat at the table and allowed to open an office.

In nearby Qatar President Obama issued a caveat the Taliban must first renounce terrorism -- Jennifer we talked a lot about what the troop number will eventually be at the end of 2014.

What what's -- going thinking on that and what about concern.

About per track protecting those troops -- the number is very low well.

Absolutely what we have confirmed is that.

General John Allen the top US commander in Afghanistan has given they national security team around the president three options.

89000 option a 6000 option and a 3000 option.

What we're hearing is that it will likely the president will likely decide on somewhere between three and 6000 troops.

That's really not going to give you very much option in terms of training and assisting the Afghan security forces -- really mostly going to be a counterterrorism force of special operators.

Setting up some basis to deal with al-Qaeda in this French areas along the Pakistan border Brett okay we'll -- Jennifer Griffin pentagon thank you.

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