Romney renews call for Afghanistan withdrawal in 2014

BOCA RATON, the United States - US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said if he becomes president, US troops in Afghanistan "will come home" in 2014.

Romney made the comment at the third and last presidential debate with President Barack Obama. Asked by moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News that will US troops leave in 2014 even if the Afghans aren't ready to take over their own security, he said despite keeping the deadline to withdraw, the United States should still need to help both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Obama said he is following through on pledges to surge troops to Afghanistan, but now the US side is in a position "to transition out" by 2014. According to Obama's plans, the US side is to transition security lead to Afghanistan by 2014.

"After a decade of war, it's time to do some nation building here at home," said Obama.

During the 90-minute debate, Romney also expressed his support to the use of drones to take out threats to the United States.

The former Massachusetts governor said he was pleased to see Obama's use of the unmanned aircraft to spy and hunt down terrorists, and he supported the program.

The Obama administration has been using drones to hunt down militants of al-Qaida and its affiliates. The semi-secret program has resulted in many civilian casualties, and escalated tension between locals and US troops in places like Pakistan and Afghanistan.