This is when Mr Obama has announced that withdrawal of US forces will begin, assuming transition and transfer of responsibility to Afghan forces takes effect.

BBC: US Marine at forward operating base in Helmand

Xoom represents a fraction of that market, between 2% and 4%, but investors, as well as Xoom's venture-capital backers, are betting customers used to waiting in lines to transfer cash will make the transition online, and that Xoom's market share can grow.

WSJ: Xoom Soars in Trading Debut

"We would have preferred in particular that this text set more binding and shorter deadlines for the transfer of responsibilities and the political transition, " Mr de Villepin said on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels.

BBC: Jacques Chirac, Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schroeder

In fact, we were able to negotiate very complex issues like the transfer of detention facilities to the Afghans and the transition of special forces operations to the Afghans in the context of those very difficult and tragic circumstances, and then close out the Strategic Partnership Agreement.

WHITEHOUSE: Via Conference Call