President Obama wrapped up his surprise trip to Afghanistan—during which he signed an accord with Hamid Karzai on how the US will wind down its presence after 2014—with an address to Americans. He declared that the US has "a clear path to fulfill our mission in Afghanistan," but vowed to end war "responsibly," reports CNN and the New York Times. Some excerpts:
- "My fellow Americans, we have traveled through more than a decade under the dark cloud of war. Yet here, in the predawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon."
- “The goal that I set, to defeat al-Qaeda and deny it the chance to rebuild, is now within our reach."