US not to change strategy in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON - The White House said on Monday that the United States will not change its strategy in Afghanistan despite the killing of 16 Afghan civilians by a US soldier.

White House spokesman Jay Carney noted that President Barack Obama's policy in Afghanistan is to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat " al-Qaida and help stabilize Afghanistan to the point where Afghan security forces can begin to take over responsibility for the safety and security of the country.

"That remains his objective. And that has not changed," Carney said at a regular news briefing. "The focus of our overall strategy is not in reaction to a single event."

He also said the drawdown of American and NATO forces from Afghanistan will continue as planned, but the pace will depend on "a variety of factors" that will be discussed when NATO leaders meet in Chicago on May 20-21.

"But it is important in the aftermath of this terrible and tragic incident to remember why we're there and what our objectives are in terms of the United States' national security," he remarked.

"I do not believe that this incident will change the timetable of a strategy that was designed and is being implemented in a way to allow for the withdrawal of US forces, to allow for the transfer of lead security authority over to the Afghans," he said.

The shootings by a US soldier in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar came as relations between Washington and Kabul have been strained over the burning of copies of Quran by US troops last month.

The two countries are negotiating a strategic partnership document that will guide bilateral ties beyond 2014, when American and NATO forces are scheduled to hand over security responsibility to the Afghan forces and end combat mission.