Afghans set ambitious 2014 target for security takeover

AFGHAN forces should be leading security operations across the country by 2014, an international conference agreed yesterday, with the aim of relieving foreign troops in some areas by as soon as the end of the year.

The somewhat rosy picture assumes success by the 150,000 NATO-led foreign troops in an ongoing operation against the Taliban in their spiritual heartland, as well as in persuading thousands of insurgents to lay down their arms.

The current state of security, however, was starkly illustrated earlier in the day when a plane carrying United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the conference had to divert from Kabul airport to NATO’s Bagram airfield, 60km away, after an insurgent rocket attack.