G8 sets timeframe for Afghan withdrawal Awaz Apni: The G8 group of major world powers set a five-year timeframe for the government of Afghanistan to take increasing control of its own security. The communiqué, released at the end of the two-day Muskoka summit in Canada, represents the first time the international community has put a clear timescale at the highest level for the conclusion of the foreign intervention in Afghanistan, which began in 2001. And it sets a probable end date for the withdrawal of Britain’s 10,000-strong deployment in the country. It came a day after Prime Minister David Cameron indicated that he envisages the bulk of UK troops coming home from Afghanistan by the time of the next general election due in 2015. The agreed communiqué by G8 members Britain, the US, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Japan – calls on the Afghan government to set out how it will “make concrete progress to reinforce the formal justice system and expand the capacity of the Afghan national security forces to assume increasing responsibility for security within five years”. A previous international agreement, drawn up at the London Conference in January this year, set out a plan for President Hamid Karzai to build up the capability of his security forces, with a view to eventually taking over control of his country from the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force. The document stated that Mr Karzai should use next month’s international conference in Afghan capital Kabul to ‘present detailed plans and show tangible progress in implementing the commitments’ made in London.