WASHINGTON, Feb 14: A sizeable number of US forces will provide support for two additional fighting seasons before Afghan forces assume full security responsibilities, says the White House.

In a statement issued to the media, the White House also urged the Taliban to join the political transition in Afghanistan.

“An Afghan-led peace and reconciliation is ultimately necessary to end violence and ensure lasting stability of Afghanistan and the region,” it said.

In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Obama announced that the US war in Afghanistan would end by December 2014 and the United States would halve its military presence in that country by the end of this year. “The United States will support initiatives that bring Afghans together with other Afghans to discuss the future of their country,” the White House said.

The US and the Afghan government have urged the Taliban to join the political process and open a Taliban office in Qatar for continuing peace talks. “We have been clear that the outcomes of any peace and reconciliation process must be for the Taliban and other armed opposition groups to end violence, break ties with Al Qaeda, and accept Afghanistan’s constitution,” the White House said.

The statement made it clear that after 2014, the United States would no longer be leading combat operations.

The White House fact sheet pointed out that at the 2010 Nato Summit in Lisbon, the United States, its partners, and the Afghan government agreed to transfer full responsibility for Afghanistan’s security to the Afghan National Security Forces by the end of 2014.

This transition process allows the international community to responsibly draw down its forces in Afghanistan, while preserving hard-won gains and setting the stage to achieve its core objectives – defeating Al Qaeda and ensuring it can never use Afghanistan again.

The White House pointed out that today Afghan forces were already leading nearly 90 per cent of operations, and by spring 2013, they would be moving into the operational lead across the country.

“As the international community’s role shifts and Afghan forces continue to grow in capabilities, coalition troop numbers will continue to decrease in a planned, coordinated, and responsible manner,” the White House said.  “By the end of 2014, transition will be complete and Afghan Security Forces will be fully responsible for the security of their country.”