27 January 2009

Defense Secretary Gates Says Afghanistan Is Significant Challenge

Congressional panels hear first testimony on new U.S. security policies

Defense Secretary Robert Gates

By Merle D. Kellerhals Jr.
Staff Writer

Washington — President Obama considers Afghanistan the “greatest military challenge” facing the United States as it works against an aggressive Taliban insurgency to bring peace and security, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says.

At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing January 27, Gates said that “as you know, the United States has focused more on Central Asia in recent months. President Obama has made it clear that the Afghanistan theater should be our top overseas military priority.”

Gates’ assessment comes as Obama is considering options for an earlier than scheduled drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq. During his campaign for president, Obama expressed a goal of drawing down U.S. forces within 16 months of taking office, well ahead of the December 2011 deadline specified in the Status of Forces Agreement with the Iraqi government.

The defense secretary testified that Pentagon planners are drawing up several scenarios for ending active U.S. military engagement in Iraq, and Obama is scheduled to meet with the Joints Chiefs of Staff January 28 at the Pentagon to discuss them.

“I believe the president will have had every opportunity to hear quite directly from his commanders about what they can accomplish and what the attendant risks are under different options,” Gates said.

Gates appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee in a morning session January 27 and was scheduled to testify before the House Armed Services Committee in an afternoon session. He was not required to have a confirmation hearing when Obama tapped him to remain at the Defense Department in the new administration. Gates served as defense secretary under President Bush from 2006 to the end of Bush’s term.

“The challenges facing the [Defense] department at home and abroad are extraordinary. Foremost will be shifting the emphasis and the balance between two ongoing wars, drawing down in Iraq as we build up in Afghanistan,” Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin said. Senator John McCain, the ranking Republican on the committee, echoed Levin’s remarks in saying that “in all these areas and more, we face enormous and difficult decisions.”

It is Gates’ first hearing since the new administration took office January 20. Gates testified that the coordination of international efforts in Afghanistan has been less than successful, and must be improved to be effective and long-lasting.

“There are more than 40 nations, hundreds of NGOs [nongovernmental organizations], universities, development banks, the United Nations, the European Union, NATO and more involved in Afghanistan — all working to help a nation beset by crushing poverty, a thriving drug trade fueling corruption, a ruthless and resilient insurgency, and violent extremists of many stripes, not the least of which is al-Qaida,” Gates said. But he said there are assessments being made that should help provide an integrated way forward to unify these various efforts.

As in Iraq, there is no purely military solution in Afghanistan, Gates said, but the size of the Afghan national army needs to increase from a current strength of 80,000 troops to 134,000. While increasing the size of the army is important, of equal importance is enhancing the army’s training, he said.

The United States is increasing the size of its force in Afghanistan from about 34,000 troops now to nearly double that size. Gates said that there will be two additional combat brigades added by late spring and a third brigade by midsummer.

“While this will undoubtedly be a long and difficult fight, we can attain what I believe should be among our strategic objectives: an Afghan people who do not provide a safe haven for al-Qaida, reject the rule of the Taliban and support the legitimate government that they elected and in which they have a stake,” Gates said.

IRAQ DRAWDOWN, OTHER CHALLENGES

The drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq is currently part of a schedule developed in the recently approved Status of Forces Agreement that requires all troops be withdrawn by December 2011. “It is a watershed — a firm indication that American military involvement is winding down,” Gates said.

Although violence in Iraq has remained low, he added, there is still the potential for setbacks.

Gates said other national security issues facing the United States include these:

• The vexing challenges presented by both North Korea and Iran with regard to the development of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

• Missile defense in Europe against potential rogue states such as Iran armed with nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them. Gates said there is a potential for further cooperation with Russia on a European-based missile defense system, and the United States will explore those possibilities.

• Expanded Chinese investment and growing capabilities in cyber- and anti-satellite warfare, anti-air and anti-ship weaponry, submarines and ballistic missiles.

The text of Gates’ testimony as prepared for delivery (PDF, 13 pages) is available on the Senate Armed Services Committee Web site.

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