The United States remains committed to the goal of a sovereign Afghanistan, which is not a safe haven for terrorists, the White House has said.
"We and our Afghan partners remain committed to our shared strategy and goals of a fully sovereign Afghanistan that is not a safe haven for al-Qaeda and that is responsible for its own security," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.
"That's why the President has put in place a policy where, after plussing up forces there and training Afghan National Security Forces, we are now drawing down American forces, keeping the President's commitment to do so, as we transfer security lead over to the Afghans," Carney said.
However, the White House did not respond to questions on a news report in The New York Times that alleged that the CIA supplied money to the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, in suitcases, backpacks and sometimes in even plastic grocery bags on a monthly basis.
