Captioning sponsored by Macneil Lehrer productions woodruff president obama and afghan president karzai nounced today that u. S. Troops in afghanistan would shift away from a combat role this spring. Good evening. Im judy woodruff. Brown and im jeffrey brown. On the newshour tonight, we look at the changing u. S. Afghanistan relationship after 11 years of war against al qaeda and the taliban with an endgame in sight. Woodruff then, Margaret Warner looks into the faas decision to review boeings troubled 787 dreamliner. Brown ray suarez talks with Washington Post reporter cecilia kang, who walks us through the hightech offerings at this years Consumer Electronics show. Samsung came up with a very interesting 5. 5 inch flexible screen that kind of makes you imagine all kinds of possibilities woodruff plus mark shields and david brooks analyze the weeks news. Thats all ahead on tonights newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by and by bnsf railway. Support also comes from Carnegie Corporation of new york, a foundation created to do what Andrew Carnegie called real and permanent good. Celebrating 100 years of philanthropy at carnegie. Org. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. And friends of the newshour. And. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Woodruff the future u. S. Military role in afghanistan was front and center today as president obama met with afghan leader hamid karzai. They reported progress in their talks, and said the pace of the security transition will be expedited. At their first facetoface meeting since may, the leaders announced theyre accelerating the handoff from u. S. And Coalition Forces to afghan troops. Let me say it as plainly as i can starting this spring, our troops will have a different mission training, advising, assisting Afghan Forces. It will be an historic moment and another step toward full afghan sovereignty. In spring this year, the Afghan Forces will be fully responsible for providing security to the Afghan People. And that the international forces, the american forces, will beo longer present in afghan villages. Woodruff afghanistan President Hamid karzai has sharply complained that fighting in afghan villages is causing too many civilian casualties. And thereve been other strains from koran burnings by american soldiers to deadly insider attacks by Afghan Soldiers. For now, the u. S. Still has 66,000 troops in afghanistan, but its moving toward withdrawing all combat forces by the end of 2014. General john allen, the commander of u. S. And nato forces in afghanistan, has laid out a range of troop level options to president obama, from as high as 20,000 to as low as 6,000, to stay on to train Afghan Soldiers and fight al qaeda. White house officials are said to favor fewer troops. This week, Deputy National security adviser ben rhodes even suggested its possible that no americans will stay. The president declined to name a number today. Im still getting recommendations from the pentagon and our commanders on the ground in terms of what that would look like. And when we have more information about that, i will be describing that to the american people. Woodruff in november, the u. S. And afghanistan started negotiations on a socalled bilateral Security Agreement to govern any future American Military role. U. S. Officials have insisted that any troops who do stay must have legal protection, as the president said again today. We have arrangements like this with countries all around the world, and nowhere do we have any kind of Security Agreement with a country without immunity for our troops. Woodruff in turn, karzai said now that the transition is being expedited, the immunity question may no longer be a sticking point. I can go to the Afghan People and argue for immunity for u. S. Troops in afghanistan in a way that afghan sovereignty will not be compromised, in a way that afghan law will not be compromised. Woodruff back in kabul, the questions of whether u. S. Troops remain, and how many and under what conditions, have divided afghans, as evident this week. translated if all u. S. Troops leave afghanistan after 2014, the civil war will start once again, because we have experienced civil war in the past. It will happen again if all troops go home. translated i think it is necessary for u. S. Troops to withdraw from afghanistan because our National Army is capable enough to defend and save the country in any situation. Woodruff according to nato, the afghan National Army force now stands at 187,000. Yesterday, defense secretary leon panetta voiced confidence in those forces as he met with president karzai at the pentagon. The Afghan Government has also been pursuing peace talks with the taliban. As part of that process, the karzai government has urged pakistan to release more taliban fighters. Four were freed last week after more than two dozen were released in the past few months. Whatever comes of the peace efforts, president karzai said again today, he plans to step down next year. Certainly, i will be a retired president and very happily in retirement. Woodruff karzai has been dogged by charges of fraud since his reelection, part of larger concerns about corruption in his government. He acknowledged the concerns today, and said he hopes for a proper election to name his successor. Brown we pick up on todays meeting with two men with extensive experience in managing u. S. Afghan relations. Said jawad was afghanistans ambassador to washington from 2003 to 2010. Before that, he was president karzais chief of staff. And peter tomsen was a career diplomat who served as special envoy on afghanistan during the george h. W. Bush administration. Hes the author of the wars of afghanistan. Peter tomsen, lets start with you. What jumps out at you. Help us decode what was in that meeting, what was most pournt. Is think what jumped out at me mostly was the acceleration in the transition. Which i think is good. That american troops are going to be leaving at a faster clip. And also on the function side, so to speak that the role of american troops in combat as was mentioned in the clip is going to be phased out. Also, what president karzai said on elections i thought was excellent because there has been a lot of concer that the election schedule for 2014 might end up like the elections in 200 the when there was a good deal of fraud. As you might recall. Then i was very pleased to see the comments on women, the emphasis on gender equality. And also immunity for our troops. President karzai, i thought, basically accepted that axiom which we followed throughout the world. Brown let me ask said jawad what did president karzai come mere most wanting. What is most important to him in the government right now . A couple of things. First and foremost was the equipment, the National AfghanSecurity Forces are seizing. President karzai is asking for longrange artillery, transport capability for at Afghan Security forces. Brown he wants more equipment. He wanted actually the americans to get out of what he called afghan villages and also he wanted to have a clarification on the issue of reconciliation. There is a different channel of reconciation taking place. And during those meetings both afghanistan and United States agreed to support mover a u. S. Lead air force which is based out of dojas qatar. Brown doesnt much of this depend on the notion that there has been Great Success by the u. S. Forces and afghan force and now Afghan Forces can keep the ball going so to speak against the taliban . Is that the case . Well, when you travel to afghanistan you do see the Afghan Security forces require a lot more capabilities but ability to gather intelligence, air transport, having canons and type, still to rely on nato forces to provide that that is ask president karzai is asking for these things so the Afghan Security forces can operate more independently. Brown what do you think of the assessment of the Security Forces. I would agree, there is a big question of fiscal responsibility. Things are moving in the right direction. The combat forces have taken over the combat role and now 75 of the country, but it will go up to 90 soon as the president mentioned. But missing in the discussions, and i dont think that this was planned to be announced during this visit is the question of how much money will be required for the afghan National Security forces which have reached 344,000. And hire being 174,000, and congress mr. Have a say. Brown the question of the scale and speed of the drawdown estimate to come as the president said, but much of this is about what happened afterwards, after 2014, that socalled Security Agreement of some kind. Yes, absolutely. Two key issues for the future of afghanistan is the political certainty. For an afghan, insecurity is to the a problem, its uncertainty. The fact we dont know what we are transitioning too. What is next for afghan. Part of that has to be form nature formulated by the afghan political leadership. They can help to a certain degree but we still do need to hear very clearly what is in for afghanistan after 2014, as far as what from the National Partner but most importantly how afghanistan itself sees itself in a changing region. What about this of hamid karzai saying he will be retired president soon enough. Is that a certainty at this point. And then what does that mean for afghan politics . That is a challenge. I believe that president karzai will step down and he is not going to be running. Therefore i didnt expect he will be endorsing individual groups too early that enhances this environment of uncertainty in afghanistan where we do need actually a clear movement. We dont have Political Party notice afghanistan so therefore its important to know who are some of the frontrunners but president karzai may not like to see an individual emerging because it will make him less relevant. Of course washingtons relations with president karzai have been bumpy many times along the way. Yes. So is there a clear sense, a belief that he will step down in some sense of what comes next. I think i would agree again with the ambassador that even though he mentioned this, the jury is still out as to what will happen. Afghanistan is an unpredictable place as i found out and many would agree. However it would really help Democratic Institution building in afghanistan and the democratic process if he did follow through with this commitment et ceteras just made in front of the president of the United States an American Public here in the United States. He said it before in afghanistan and actually left office and let the democratic process go forward and elections go forward and the Afghan People finally since, what, the 70s are able to choose their own leader. Brown you brought up the question of this immunity earlier in the discussion. This would be after 2014 with what u. S. Personnel, military personnel are left. Did you sense that that was resolved somehow or at least just aired. I think it was more than aired. I think that president karzai actually said that thisan be handled and we will move forward and inn discussing this and taking care of it. I cant imagine that he would backtrack on that i think i would defer total was door on this that his overall focus on protecting afghanistan sovereignty, and it doesnt extend to this issue to that extend. Brown waz do you think . Is this a big issue there. Actually the strategic bip that we signed with the United States moved quickly despite the complication our parlient has. The grand Council Approved that smoothly, easily. As far as Afghan People are concerned i dont think this will be a big issue. But of course it will be used as a bargaining tool by both sides but at the end of the day president karzai understands clearly that u. S. Will insist and require that immunity will be part of the package. Brown one other issue briefly is the talks with the taliban. The afghan talks with the taliban. Where does that stand from president karzai and the Afghan Governments stance at this point . Efforts lead by the United States were centered around opening, president karzai endorsed that which is a positive development. A new move. Its a new move and we move us toward the direction in being on the same page among ourselves as afghans, americans and pakistanies. Before we have to be on the same page and it will take us one step closer to that objective. I think its going to be a difficult process. Im glad we are engaged in negotiations with the taliban and the Afghan Governments negotiation with its taliban are most important. We should facilitate it but not jump in and try to resolve the problem os ourselves. However i think that afghan journalist question on gend are equality during the press conference showed maybe an unmovable obstacle which is what the taliban do too women, on the one hand and what the afghan constitution says to protect women, on the other hand you have heard of this incident withiousev zai in pakistan where they tried to sassinate her. In afghanistan it is works the three proxies of the military, the haqqani, they cross the border to take on the Afghan Government. They are also very much involved in torching girls schools, poisoning the lunches of girls schools and killing school girl its like malani. So it is going to be hard. Many, many compli cations, teter tomsen and said jawad, thank you very much. Woodruff still to come on the newshour the faas decision to examine the boeing 787 dreamliner; the buzz on cutting edge technology; and shields and brooks. But first, the other news of the day. Heres hari sreenivasan. Sreenivasan the death toll in a double bombing on a billiards hall in pakistan rose to 86 today. Shiites were the target, and today some people refused to bury their dead in protest, demanding the government protect them better. The twin bombings were the worst in a series of attacks yesterday that killed a total of 120 people. In syria, rebel fighters captured control of a major air base in the northwestern part of the country. They seized helicopters and other weapons at the taftanaz base in idlib province. Its the Largest Military site theyve taken so far. Meanwhile, in geneva, u. N. Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met with u. S. And Russian Diplomats in a search for a political solution in syria. He said later that prospects appear grim. France intervened in mali today to stem an offensive by islamic rebels linked to al qaeda. Within hours of arriving, the french launched air strikes and helped Government Forces retake the town of konna in the center of the west african nation. Rebels pushing down from the north had seized it this week. In paris, french president Francois Hollande said his government answered an urgent appeal from the president of its former colony. Mali is being confronted with an aggression by terrorist elements coming from the north whose brutality and fanaticism the entire world is aware of. As a consequence a frenched arm forces brought their support this afternoon to mali units to fight against these terrorist elements. This operation will la as long asnecessary. Sreenivasan later, the malian president declared a National State of emergency. His Defense Ministry said nigeria and senegal are providing military aid as well. The suspect in the colorado theater shootings will stand trial, but he wont have to enter a plea until march. Overnight, a judge ruled there is sufficient evidence to prosecute james holmes. He allegedly killed 12 people and injured 58 others last july. Today, the judge granted a defense motion to delay holmes arraignment over the objections of the prosecution and victims families. Defense lawyers have said he is mentally ill. Representatives of the video Game Industry had their turn today meeting with Vice President biden on ways to curb gun violence. Makers of socalled First Person Shooter games, including call of duty and grand theft auto, took part. There was no indication of what the Vice President asked of the industry. But he said yesterday he plans to give recommendations to president obama by tuesday. Influenza has officially reached epidemic proportions in the u. S. The centers for Disease Control confirmed today that more than 7 of deaths in the country were due to flu and pneumonia last week. Thas just above the thresld foan edemic. Nine of ten regions had elevated flu activity, confirming the seasonal outbreak has spread earlier than