Karzai said the decision was "well-timed" and insisted his war-scarred nation was ready to take charge of its own security.

Afghan President Hamid Karza welcomed a British decision to pull thousands of troops out of his country next year.

Karzai said the decision was "well-timed" and insisted his war-scarred nation was ready to take charge of its own security.
"The president... welcoming the announcement said: 'the Afghan national forces are ready to provide the security and defend their country," a statement from Karzai's office said.

"The decision by Britain is a well-timed decision."

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday said that he will withdraw almost half of the country's 9,000 occupation troops from Afghanistan next year as NATO hands over security responsibility to Afghan forces.
The announcement comes as NATO prepares for a full security handover at the end of 2014.

Cameron said the withdrawal of around 3,800 British troops by the end of 2013 was possible "because of the success of our forces and the Afghan National Security Forces".
There are currently more than 9,000 British occupation troops serving in Afghanistan with the NATO force -- the second largest force in the country after the United States.

Britain has lost 438 troops in Afghanistan since 2001 US-led occupation.
Most British troops are stationed in southern Helmand province, one of the toughest battlegrounds against the Taliban.