03 September 2010

Gates Cites Progress in Afghanistan Security

By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.
Staff Writer

Washington — U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says success in Afghanistan will be determined by how well the Afghan government, supported by the international community, responds to the needs of its people.

At a September 2 press conference in Kabul with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Gates said that “much has been accomplished in this regard and I think we agree more remains to be done.”

Karzai said the talks with Gates were wide-ranging and touched on the U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership, the fight against terrorism and the Taliban insurgency, and progress in strengthening the Afghan government and security forces.

Gates said he and Karzai also discussed efforts to curb the incidence of corruption, which Karzai acknowledged saps the strength and resources of the Afghan people and diminishes popular support for the elected government. U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry and Army General David Petraeus, who commands U.S. and allied security forces, have instituted new controls to make sure U.S. and foreign assistance does not fuel corruption, Gates said.

“We fully support the Afghan government in its own efforts to address corruption,” he said.

The defense chief arrived in Kabul September 2 after attending ceremonies in Iraq marking the change of command from U.S. combat forces to Iraqi forces.

Gates told reporters that the long-term commitment of the United States to the Afghan people and their security will remain strong, even as the coalition’s military role changes over time as conditions allow. Gates and Karzai discussed a U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership declaration that is being developed.

The immediate goal of the United States in Afghanistan and the region, Gates said, is to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the terrorist group al-Qaida and its extremist affiliates in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and prevent the former Taliban regime from retaking control of the country. Success is critical for the future of Afghanistan, stability of the region and the long-term security interests of the United States, Gates said.

ADDITIONAL FORCES

Gates told reporters that nearly all of the 30,000 additional forces President Obama ordered last December have now arrived in Afghanistan. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has added 7,000 personnel over the same period.

Meanwhile, the size and capabilities of the Afghan national security forces continue to grow, Gates said. The Afghan security forces have grown by 60,000 over the last nine months.

About 85 percent of Afghan National Army soldiers are partnered with ISAF forces in the field — “training together, planning together and fighting together, with Afghan forces increasingly taking the lead” for their country’s security, Gates said.

Gates acknowledged that coalition forces and Afghan army and police forces have taken heavier casualties as they go into areas that have been dominated by Taliban insurgents. “Having said that, our enemies are paying a very steep price and feeling more pressure than ever,” he added. “That will only intensify.”

During his travel in Afghanistan on this visit, Gates met with U.S. troops in the southern Kandahar province, which is considered the heartland of the Taliban insurgency. He said he left his visit with U.S. military personnel with a feeling of encouragement.

“Everybody knows this is far from a done deal, but the confidence of these young men and women that they can be successful gives me confidence,” Gates told reporters.

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)