【奥巴马演讲】结束阿富汗战争，重建美国 (1/2)

英语自学网

Hints:
        Hamid Karzai
        Afghanistan
        al Qaeda
        Taliban
Hi, everybody. This week, I welcomed President Hamid Karzai to the White House to discuss the way ahead in Afghanistan. And today, I want to update you on how we will end this war, bring our troops home, and continue the work of rebuilding America.
Over the past four years, thanks to our brave men and women in uniform, we've dealt devastating blows to al Qaeda. We've pushed the Taliban out of their strongholds.  And our core objective – the reason we went to war in the first place – is now within reach: ensuring that al Qaeda can never again use Afghanistan to launch attacks against America.
The 33,000 additional forces that I ordered to Afghanistan served with honor. They completed their mission, and – as promised – returned home last fall. This week, we agreed that this spring, Afghan forces will take the lead for security across the entire country, and our troops will shift to a support role. In the coming months, I'll announce the next phase of our drawdown. And by the end of next year, America's war in Afghanistan will be over.