The US commander of international forces in Afghanistan has hailed the achievements of 13 years of fighting against the Taliban, as NATO formally ended its war at a ceremony in Kabul. <\/p>\n
'Together ... we have lifted the Afghan people out of the darkness of despair and given them hope for the future,' General John Campbell told assembled NATO soldiers. <\/p>\n
'You've made Afghanistan stronger and our countries safer.' <\/p>\n
On January 1, the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission, which has suffered 3485 military deaths since 2001, will be replaced by a NATO 'training and support' mission. <\/p>\n
The ceremony was arranged in secret because the threat of Taliban strikes in the Afghan capital, which has been hit by repeated suicide bombings and gun attacks over recent years. <\/p>\n
'I hope you take great pride in the positive impact you've made and will continue to make upon the Afghan people,' Campbell said in a speech released by ISAF on Twitter as live broadcasts were banned for security reasons. <\/p>\n
'The road before us remains challenging, but we will triumph.' <\/p>\n
The ceremony completed the gradual handover of responsibility to the 350,000-strong Afghan forces, which have been in charge of nationwide security since the middle of last year. <\/p>\n
But recent bloodshed has undermined claims that the insurgency is weakening and has highlighted fears that Afghanistan faces spiralling violence. <\/p>\n
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\nNATO formally ends war in Afghanistan<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"