Hamid Karzai's announcement comes after battle-weary countries contributing to the NATO-led force agreed last year to begin putting the battlefield under his control, moving Western troops to a support role.

But with a major insurgency still raging, doubts remain over how ready the national security forces really are, with military leaders complaining of a lack of resources and some analysts citing corruption and low retention rates.

"As violence has increased, the Afghan National Security Forces have proven a poor match for the Taliban," the International Crisis Group, a respected think-tank, said in a recent report.

"Afghanistan still lacks a cohesive national security strategy and the Afghan military and police remain dangerously fragmented and highly politicized."

AFP