Barack Obama, Nato | featured news

President Barack Obama called Monday for NATO countries to sign off on his exit strategy from Afghanistan that calls for an end to combat operations next year and the withdrawal of the U.S.-led international military force by the end of 2014.

It was what President Barack Obama called a "war of necessity," a conflict thrust upon America by the 9/11 attacks. As NATO's mission here winds down nearly 11 years later, the insurgents remain undefeated, corruption runs rife and the peace process is stuck in the sand.

The United States on Tuesday tightened financial sanctions on the Libyan government and two influential senators pushed back against calls to halt funding for American involvement in NATO operations there.

NATO said on Friday 25 countries had pledged a total of around 7,000 more troops to support the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, following President Barack Obama's commitment of 30,000 extra U.S. troops.