Obama eyes more NATO responsibilities in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that dismantling the al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan is not American battle, but "the most important NATO mission right now."

U.S. President Barack Obama meets with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington Sept. 29, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)

"It is absolutely critical that we are successful in dismantling, disrupting, destroying the al-Qaeda network, and that we are effectively working with the Afghan government to provide the security necessary for that country," Obama told reporters after meeting with NATO Secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen in the White House.

"This is not an American battle; this is a NATO mission, as well. And we are working actively and diligently to consult with NATO at every step of the way," he said, stressing that the military alliance is "the cornerstone of transatlantic relationships."