There appear to be no good options in Syria and, like most Americans, NATO countries have grown very weary of the long war in Afghanistan.

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But it will continue, and he remains committed to ending the war in Afghanistan in keeping with the NATO objectives by 2014.

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The British contingent in Afghanistan is among the most active NATO units in the nearly seven-year-old war with the Taliban, the Islamic movement that ruled most of Afghanistan before its al Qaeda allies attacked New York and Washington in 2001.

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The Russians have played a little bit nicer when it comes to sanctions on Iran, they have been modestly more receptive towards shipping NATO war materiel to Afghanistan, and have been somewhat more cooperative in terms of negotiating with the WTO.

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On Sunday, NATO kicks off its two-day summit in Chicago, and the war in Afghanistan is expected to dominate discussions.

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Mr Obama also rejected calls to leave Afghanistan in advance of the 2014 Nato timeline, saying "we must finish the job we started in Afghanistan, and end this war responsibly".

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At the NATO summit in France and Germany, the president was hoping to get a boost in resources for the war in Afghanistan.

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Earlier this month the outgoing commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, Gen John Allen, insisted the alliance is on the road to winning the war.

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Joseph Dunford took command Sunday of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, where he will oversee the final two years of the war and the withdrawal of nearly all troops.

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