NATO Drawdown From Afghanistan Should Depend On Security Conditions--Cameron

British Prime Minister David Cameron warned Saturday against withdrawing troops from Afghanistan too fast, after France said it would pull out a year before the international deadline of 2014.
Speaking at a press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who was visiting London, Cameron said the speed of the NATO drawdown should depend on security conditions on the ground. "Obviously, between now and 2014 there will be opportunities for different countries to reduce their troop numbers. Britain has reduced our troop numbers over the last year," Cameron said.
"I don't want to see some sort of cliff edge in 2014 when all of the remaining troops come out at once, but clearly, between now and 2014, the rate at which we can reduce our troops will depend on the transition to Afghan control in the different parts of Afghanistan. "And that should be the same for all of the members of NATO who are all contributing and helping to a strong, stable and peaceful Afghanistan, which is in all our interests."
Britain has around 9,500 troops in Afghanistan, the second largest contingent after the United States.
His comments appeared to be a rebuke to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who said Friday that France would pull its forces out of Afghanistan in 2013.
Sarkozy's decision followed the killing a week earlier of four French servicemen by a renegade Afghan soldier.
Karzai said Britain had been Afghanistan's "steadfast friend" since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 to topple the Taliban regime following the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. "May I convey to the people of Britain the gratitude of the Afghan people for all that Britain has offered Afghanistan, for having been ready to sacrifice, and having been ready to share hard-earned taxpayers' money with Afghanistan for the benefit of the Afghan life," Karzai said.
The scheduled deadline for the transfer of security from international combat troops to Afghan forces is the end of 2014.