US President Barack Obama is set to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Washington on Friday.
The White House says the leaders will discuss the next phases of the US transition out of Afghanistan, after more than a decade of war. Obama has faced pressure from Democrats and even some Republicans to wind down the war more quickly, while the military wants to avoid a too-fast pullout that might squander hard-won gains.
The Afghan army and police are expected to take over the country’s security as US combat forces withdraw in 2014. And the two countries are working on a deal on the nature of any US troop presence after.