Taliban insurgents Wednesday rejected US President Barack Obama's plan to withdraw 34,000 soldiers within a year as insufficient.
"It is time for the American leader Obama and all occupying countries to realize the reality of this war and take care of their people's situation, demands and neediness instead of drawdown," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said.
Obama announced Tuesday a plan to re-deploy about half of troops currently in the country.
"They must leave Afghanistan as soon as possible and put an end to occupation of our country because Afghan issues can be only resolved after their immediate withdrawal and only by Afghans themselves."
The government of President Hamid Karzai welcomed Obama's announcement.
"We are fully confident that our national security forces will be firmly in a position to provide full security across the country," Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Musazai said.
He said discussions on the security agreement would define the role of US troops in the country after 2014.
"The discussions have been progressing positively and constructively so far," he said.