President Obama addresses nation from Bagram Air Field on plan for ending the war in Afghanistan

President Obama will address the nation tonight from Afghanistan, discussing the new strategic partnership agreement signed today between the U.S. and Afghanistan, honoring the troops that have served in the conflict, and marking the one year anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden.

The partnership agreement will call for Afghan forces to take over complete control of security by the end of 2014, effectively ending the war. Any U.S. forces remaining after that point will be limited to training and anti-terrorism, a category that could end up becoming a loophole.

Obama will remind the country that an additional 23,000 troops will leave Afghanistan by the end of the summer, after which Obama will be faced with another decision about drawdowns. For context, there are currently 88,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. In December, 2008, there were just over 38,000 U.S. troops there.

We'll track the speech as it develops and post the remarks as prepared when they are available for posting. Watch in the video at the top of this post and join the conversation in the comment thread below.

4:28 PM PT: They put a lot of thought into the backdrop'no Mission Accomplished banners, but President Obama will be speaking in front of a flag adorned armored vehicle.

4:28 PM PT: Here's a screen capture of the staging:

4:34 PM PT: Right out of the gate, Obama makes it clear he wants this to be seen as the speech defining the end of the war in Afghanistan: "A future in which war ends," he says.

4:36 PM PT: That future will be at least 13 years after 9/11. Obama notes one of the reasons it took so long is the misguided war in Iraq. But it is now "within our reach" to defeat al Qaeda. "Tonight I would like to tell you how we will complete our mission and end the war in Afghanistan."

4:36 PM PT: After this summer's drawdown of another 23,000 troops, "reductions will continue at a steady pace, with more and more of our troops coming home."

4:39 PM PT: No U.S. military bases after 2014 will remaining Afghanistan.

4:39 PM PT: The tightrope President Obama's walking:

As we move forward, some people will ask why we need a firm timeline. The answer is clear: our goal is not to build a country in America's image, or to eradicate every vestige of the Taliban. These objectives would require many more years, many more dollars, and many more American lives. Our goal is to destroy al Qaeda, and we are on a path to do exactly that. Afghans want to fully assert their sovereignty and build a lasting peace. That requires a clear timeline to wind down the war.

Others will ask why we don't leave immediately. That answer is also clear: we must give Afghanistan the opportunity to stabilize. Otherwise, our gains could be lost, and al Qaeda could establish itself once more. And as Commander-in-Chief, I refuse to let that happen.

4:42 PM PT: I've added the remarks as prepared below the fold.

4:46 PM PT: I'm not normally a sap, but the end of this speech moved me:

This time of war began in Afghanistan, and this is where it will end. With faith in each other and our eyes fixed on the future, let us finish the work at hand, and forge a just and lasting peace. May God bless our troops. And may God bless the United States of America.

2.5 years'the end of 2014'is too long for me, and I think it's urgent that the drawdowns be accelerated as much as possible, but this statement'that Afghanistan where the war started and where it will end, gives me hope that finally this national nightmare will be over.

4:50 PM PT: Oh, and yeah, re: Mitt Romney. Can you imagine him pulling that off? Didn't think so. But he tried to make the most of being overshadowed by Obama by leaking the news about how he wouldn't stand up for a gay staffer who ended up resigning.