Petraeus to Outline Afghan Exit Strategy at NATO Conference

NATO leaders and Hamid Karzai are expected to clash at a summit that begins in Lisbon tomorrow.

The focus of the two-day conference will be to find a way out of the Afghan war that NATO leaders are increasingly describing as a quagmire. General David Petraeus, the top soldier in Afghanistan, will provide details of a plan that would cede control of the country, province by province, to the government in Kabul by 2014. Several provinces, mainly those that aren’t majority Pashtun, are already considered Taliban-free. Questions remain about the capability of the Karzai government however, and he can expect to face some harsh criticism from NATO leaders for the corruption that is endemic in the country. The alliance will also be looking to draft a new mission statement for the first time in 11 years.