COMMANDER U.S. FORCES AFGHANISTAN SAYS TALIBAN UNLIKELY TO TOPPLE GOVERNMENT

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Campbell: Taliban Overmatched by Afghan Forces
By Nick Simeone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2015 – While Afghanistan remains a dangerous place with many challenges ahead, it’s unlikely the Taliban have the ability to best Afghan forces on the battlefield or topple the government, the top U.S. general in the country said today.

Army Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of Operation Resolute Support and U.S. Forces Afghanistan, said in prepared remarks to the House Armed Services Committee that while the Taliban has shifted tactics to high-profile attacks against soft targets, it is not capable of overthrowing the Afghan government in Kabul.

While they will continue to test Afghan security forces, “it’s unlikely that the Taliban will be able to overmatch the Afghan national defense and security forces on the battlefield in 2015,” Campbell said.

He predicted that indirect fire, insider attacks and other Taliban offensives will increase during the upcoming fighting season, but “these are not the tactics of an insurgent movement capable of overthrowing the Afghan government.”
Afghans Control Key Territory

With 350,000 Afghan security forces now in charge of the country’s security, Campbell said, the Afghan government has been able to maintain control over all key territory and populated areas including the country’s 34 provincial capitals and its major cities.

Casualties among Afghan security forces were higher last year than in 2013, he said, primarily because of the stepped-up role Afghan forces have taken in security operations at a time when coalition forces were drawing down.
Though U.S. and coalition casualties were lower, “Afghanistan remains a dangerous place,” Campbell said. In the coming months, he added, “we can anticipate we will be targeted and we will suffer casualties.”

Some 10,600 U.S. forces remain in Afghanistan -- out of a total coalition force of 13,000 -- continuing with a mission to train, advise and assist Afghan forces and conduct counterterrorism operations.

“Our primary focus continues to be on preventing Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven again for al-Qaida and other international extremist groups,”

Campbell said, including the Haqqani network. That network, he said, could pose a formidable challenge to the Afghan government and coalition forces.

There is evidence of recruiting efforts in Afghanistan by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists and that some Taliban members have rebranded themselves as ISIL, Campbell said. These are developments, he said, that bear watching.

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS SAYS AFGHAN NATIONAL SECURITY FORCES PERFORMANCE POSITIVE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Dempsey: Past Year ‘Surprisingly Positive’ for Afghan Forces
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Feb. 25, 2014 – By both NATO and Afghan accounts, the past year “has been surprisingly positive” for the Afghan national security forces, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told reporters traveling with him to Afghanistan that both NATO and Afghan leaders underestimated the abilities of the Afghan security forces -- forces that didn’t really exist a few years ago.

Since taking the lead throughout the country last year, Afghan forces have done very well, the chairman said. The Taliban had a handful of objectives, he added: to reclaim territory, to use several high-profile attacks to return to prominence, and to discredit the Afghan security forces.

The Taliban obviously didn’t have much success, Dempsey said. They never retook territory, they launched few large attacks in the Afghan capital of Kabul, and they have not discredited the security forces. The question now is not how the Afghan forces are doing, he said, but rather how the upcoming Afghan election will come off, and whether there will be a political system to embrace the Afghan forces and their progress in the months ahead.

Afghan forces are in charge of April’s presidential election, providing the security with NATO forces staying far to the rear. Plans now call for limited NATO support for logistics.

The NATO combat mission ends at the end of the year. A follow-on NATO mission -- Operation Resolute Support -- begins Jan. 1, and it calls for NATO forces to stay engaged at the regional level helping to train, advise and assist Afghan army and police formations. It also calls for providing assistance at the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior in Kabul.

Before this can happen, Afghan officials must sign the bilateral security agreement that they negotiated with the United States and which a national council of tribal and family elders approved. Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he will leave it to his successor to sign the document. Once the U.S.-Afghan agreement is signed, NATO will negotiate a similar pact.

NATO needs the agreement to legally remain in Afghanistan beyond this year. Dempsey said the “shot clock” is running down, and there is a point at which the regional approach may no longer be feasible. “What I don’t want to do is run out of options for our elected leaders or for Afghanistan,” he said.

Dempsey noted he has made many visits to Afghanistan. “What I’m always struck by is that many of us -- our NATO partners and us -- continue to change jobs,” he said. “So there is always something new to learn, to see, to talk about. But I also end up speaking with the same Afghans time after time after time.”

The chairman said he had the same experience when he served in Iraq. “My counterpart in Iraq has been the chief of defense for eight years,” the chairman said. “So when I would come back to him and talk about what’s new, I’m not sure he could see what was new as readily as I could. But I don’t think I could see what isn’t new as readily as he can.”

The same is true in Afghanistan. “It has always been our challenge to knit those two together -- our ability to see things as they are changing, and maybe our partner’s ability to see the continuity of things,” he said.
Dempsey said he does have some clarity on the retrograde movement out of Afghanistan.

“Our ability to retrograde the entire thing -- should we need to, and which would be unfortunate -- we could retrograde with relatively low risk, given the time available,” he said. “As the time continues to expire, the risk on our ability to retrograde increases, and that’s another thing I need to look them in the eye to make sure I understand it fully.”

REPORTERS TOLD AFGHAN FORCES DOING WELL AGAINST TALIBAN

FROM:  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Afghan Forces Winning Tough Fight Against Taliban
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2014 – Afghan National Security Forces are prevailing in their battles against the Taliban and other fighters, a senior U.S. commander told reporters from Afghanistan today.

And, Afghan forces are doing well with minimal assistance from the International Security Assistance Force as the end of the U.S.-led NATO mission in Afghanistan nears, Army Lt. Gen. Mark A. Milley, the commander of ISAF’s Joint Command said as he addressed the Pentagon press corps via satellite.

“Throughout the summer, it was a tough fight and the Afghans stood up … and fought well across the board throughout the provinces and the districts,” Milley said. “The Afghan security forces were tactically overmatching anything that the Taliban … or anybody else could throw at them.”

But Milley acknowledged Afghan casualties have increased 50-70 percent during some 3,000-4,000 firefights in recent years.

The U.S. and its NATO allies, Milley said, have shifted gears in Afghanistan since the invasion following the 9/11 attacks. At that time, he said, there were no Afghan police, and only remnants of the Northern Alliance patched together in small units.
“We came into this country … to prevent [it] from ever again being a platform to carry terrorism to the shores of the United States or any other vital national interest,” Milley said.

Antiterrorism efforts in Afghanistan, Milley explained, were intended to stabilize the country and establish a capable Afghan security force.

In the ensuing years, Afghan forces’ leadership, skills and cohesion have continued to improve, Milley said.

“The Afghans stepped up to the fight,” the general said. “Was it perfect? No. Was it pretty? No. But war is not a pretty thing.”

MARINE CORPS GEN. MATTIS SAYS "AFGHAN CAIGN IS ON TRACK"

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghan Forces Set Conditions for Success, Mattis Says
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2013 - The chief of U.S. Central Command discussed progress in Afghanistan and the upcoming transition there and also outlined budget challenges triggered by sequestration during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

"Our mission is succeeding," said Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis. "The Afghan campaign is on track. It is, obviously, a combination of progress and violence, but I would say when it comes down to the [Afghan] security forces, they are proving themselves capable.

"Obviously, when we were looking at the drawdown numbers, there was a certain amount of forecasting that the Afghan forces would be capable," Mattis added.

The general cited a casualty statistic to demonstrate Afghan forces have successfully transitioned to leading security in most of the country.

Since January 1, four U.S. troops have been lost in action, Mattis said, and in the same period, Afghan security forces have had 198 killed.

"There can no longer be any doubt," he said. "It's not an opinion, it's now a fact -- the Afghans are doing the bulk of the fighting. And they're doing it with our support."

With 352,000 Afghans serving in their security forces, the Afghans are improving daily and their end strength will not be reduced as previously proposed by NATO.

"We're seeing that these lads are willing to take it to the enemy," Mattis said. "I think the Taliban have very little reason for comfort right now.

"They are getting better each day," he continued, "and with 87 percent of the country now under their lead, and them proving themselves in combat ... I support it."

The current NATO mission in Afghanistan ends in December of next year. Although post 2014 troop levels have yet to be finalized, Mattis said he has recommended that 13,600 U.S troops remain in the country.

Discussing the Centcom region in general, Mattis noted there remains a "significant risk" to U.S. interests.

"Specifically, [there is] a perceived lack of an enduring U.S. commitment," he said. "To counter this misperception, we must clearly communicate our intent and demonstrate our support through tangible actions."

Mattis said the transition in Afghanistan has been "steady and deliberate."

The United States is among 50 nations fighting together in the country as part of the largest coalition in modern history, the general said.

"[We are] providing continued support of the Afghan security forces as they set conditions for their long-term success," he said.

Mattis said he will also need continued support from the Senate committee for military-to-military engagements, security cooperation efforts, military exercise programs, and information operations.

This includes, he said, innovative and flexible authorities, and the necessary funds to continue doing what is required to protect U.S. national security interests.

"As our nation confronts a period of fiscal austerity, our ability to adapt our ways and means to continue to meet our operational objectives is impacted by three key factors," Mattis said.

"Right now, I do not have any budget certainty. Second, my need for time to adapt to reduced budgets and take the cuts smartly."

Mattis said his third request is for flexibility to determine where to shift available funds in a manner that reduces risk and is consistent with the intent of Congress.

"And, of course, much of that flexibility must be granted to the service chiefs," he said.

Asked what he thought would assist in meeting these factors, Mattis called for an appropriations bill that would replace the continuing resolution currently in place.

"I believe that if we got some degree of budget certainty through an appropriations bill that provides us as much as the continuing resolution does ... we can make some wise choices," he said.

"And the flexibilities you're talking about for the service chiefs would be critical to those choices, obviously, consistent with congressional intent," Mattis said. "We need that."

"With your support and with the continued devotion to duty of our troops and the commitment of our military families, we will stand by our friends to maintain a measure of regional stability in defense of our values and our interests," Mattis said.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR FEBRUARY 12, 2013

Credit:  U.S. Navy.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Coalition, Afghan Forces Arrest Weapons Distributor
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 12, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in the Khanabad district of Afghanistan's Kunduz province today, military officials reported.

The leader allegedly facilitates distribution of weapons and assists in improvised explosive device operations in the district, officials said, adding that he oversees the acquisition, transfer and delivery of IED materials and explosives to insurgents.

Another suspected insurgent also was detained, and the security force seized firearms and ammunition in the operation.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in Ghazni province's Andar district arrested a Taliban leader who allegedly has directly led attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and also has logistical and command responsibilities. He was engaged in the arms trade involving weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and IEDs. The security force also detained another suspected insurgent and seized a heavy machine gun with ammunition and some assault rifle ammunition.

-- In Nangarhar province's Khugyani district, a combined force detained three insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader believed to be responsible for planning and conducting attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized several assault rifles with associated equipment and ammunition.

In operations yesterday:

-- A precision strike in Kandahar province's Maiwand district killed a Taliban leader and facilitator who organized attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- Also in Kandahar's Maiwand district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader believed to be directly responsible for the coordination of complex attacks. His subordinate fighters were linked to several attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in the district, officials said. The security force also detained three suspected insurgents.

PRESIDENT OBAMA SAYS WE ARE NEAR MISSION OBJECTIVE

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Obama: Mission Objective in Afghanistan 'Within Reach'
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2013 - The mission objective to prevent al-Qaida from using Afghanistan to launch attacks against the United States is within reach, President Barack Obama said in his weekly address to the nation today.

"This week, I welcomed [Afghanistan] President Hamid Karzai to the White House to discuss the way ahead in Afghanistan," Obama said in his address. "And today, I want to update you on how we will end this war, bring our troops home, and continue the work of rebuilding America."

The president thanked U.S. service members, noting the United States has "dealt devastating blows" to al-Qaida and ejected the Taliban from their strongholds in the past four years.

Obama said the 33,000 additional forces he ordered to Afghanistan served with honor, completed their mission, and returned home last fall as promised.

"This week, [President Karzai and I] agreed that this spring, Afghan forces will take the lead for security across the entire country and our troops will shift to a support role," Obama said. "In the coming months, I'll announce the next phase of our drawdown. By the end of next year, America's war in Afghanistan will be over."

Obama gave credit for the progress made in Afghanistan to the "heroic sacrifices of our troops and diplomats, alongside forces from many other nations."

More than a half-million Americans -- military and civilian -- have served in Afghanistan, the president said, noting thousands of have been wounded and more than 2,000 have given their lives.

And, the drawdown in Afghanistan remains a challenge, he said.

"This remains a very difficult mission," Obama said. "The work ahead will not be easy. Our forces are still in harm's way. But make no mistake -- our path is clear, and we are moving forward."

Now, the United States must "care for our troops and veterans who fought in our name," the president said.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR OCTOBER 22, 2012

Photo Credit:  U.S. Navy.
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Insurgents, Seizes Afghan Uniforms

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2012 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested insurgent leader is believed to be directly responsible for the coordination of weapons and equipment used in attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.

The security force also detained several suspected insurgents and seized two Afghan army uniforms.

Also today, a combined security force in Kandahar province arrested a Taliban improvised explosive device expert believed to be in charge of IED operations in the province's northern and eastern areas. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.

In operations around Afghanistan yesterday:

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed a man engaging in insurgent activity in Kandahar province.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed two men engaging in insurgent activity in Wardak province.

-- In Ghazni province, Afghan special police, enabled by coalition forces, found and destroyed about 200 pounds of explosives and IED components.

In Oct. 20 operations:

-- Afghan special police, enabled by coalition forces, rescued 16 prisoners from the Taliban in Helmand province. All of the prisoners were released after security forces assessed their health.

-- An Afghan and coalition force in Ghazni province killed Mohammad Haydar, also known as Hamzah, a Taliban leader who facilitated attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- In Helmand province, an Afghan and coalition force arrested several insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader who conducts direct attacks on Afghan and coalition forces and provides lethal support to the Taliban insurgency.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed several men engaging in insurgent activity in Logar province.

-- An Afghan and coalition force arrested several insurgents in Kunduz province while searching for a Taliban leader suspected of being involved in planning and facilitating attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.

In Oct. 19 operations:

-- Afghan and coalition forces in Helmand province killed Taliban leader Ahmad Jan, who was considered an expert in building and planting IEDs.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed two men engaging in insurgent activity in Helmand province.

-- A combined security force killed an armed insurgent who was preparing to attack Afghan and coalition forces in Kandahar province.

In Oct. 18 operations:

-- Afghan police and coalition forces provided medical aid to an elder who had been shot in Zabul province. After returning to the area, the police detained several people for questioning.

-- In Uruzgan province, Afghan special police, enabled by coalition forces, detained an insurgent, killed several enemy fighters and seized a cache of weapons, ammunition and narcotics. The combined force found and destroyed 132 pounds of narcotics, several hand grenades, weapons and several hundred rounds of ammunition.

MILITARY CHIEFS DISCUSS THE TRANSFORMATION IN AFGHANISTAN




U.S. MARINE CORPS. PHOTO BY LANCE CPL. JASON MORRISON

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

NATO Military Chiefs Discuss Afghanistan, Transformation
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

SIBIU, Romania, Sept. 15, 2012 - NATO chiefs of defense are fleshing out the post-2014 role for alliance forces in Afghanistan while planning how the alliance will reshape itself to face future threats during a meeting of the Military Committee here today.

The plan, agreed to at the Chicago Summit in May, calls for NATO to continue to train and support Afghan national security forces after the NATO combat mission ends in December 2014.

"The new NATO mission will not be ISAF with another name," said Danish Army Gen. Knud Bartels, the chairman of the committee. "It will be about making sure that the Afghans have the skills to do the job, and not about NATO doing that job for them." Bartels spoke at a news conference following the meeting.

The committee, which includes Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, heard from Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, via video-teleconference.

Allen told the committee there is no denying there has been security progress in the country. He said Afghan forces are getting stronger and more confident and that Afghan forces are "genuinely" in the lead.

Afghan security forces will reach 352,000 members in the next few weeks, Bartels said, and they are making qualitative progress as well. Afghan forces now have the lead for protecting 75 percent of the Afghan population, Bartels said.

There are 27 months until the ISAF mission ends, and Bartels expects hard fighting in the future. NATO and coalition forces will continue to work with and train Afghan forces during that time, he said. Then the new alliance training, advising and assisting mission will begin. The chiefs of defense are planning for the enduring NATO commitment to Afghanistan.

The committee meeting here will inform alliance political leaders of the requirements in Afghanistan post-2014.

"This is a process that will engage all troop-contributing nations, which of course is based on the strategy," Bartels said. "At this stage there is no capping or ceiling or description for what the contingent will be. But it will be a totally different mission than ISAF, and will be a train and assist mission of supporting the Afghans in supporting their own country."

Bartels also addressed the problem of the insider threat. The chiefs are "cooperatively and individually looking at all possible steps to minimize the insider threat, even though we will never be able to eliminate it completely," he said.

"We are moving ahead steadily on this issue," Bartels said, "and it is definitely our perception that it will not derail the strategy that was ... confirmed in Chicago."

The Romanian host of the meeting, Air Force Lt. Gen. Stefan Danila, said his country will participate in the post-2014 mission in Afghanistan, but he could not name the size of the contingent. Romania currently has around 1,800 troops in Afghanistan.

The NATO chiefs also looked at the way the nations can support alliance transformation and put in place the "smart defense" policy agreed to in Chicago. This is necessary, Bartels said, because the alliance must maintain interoperability and must change with the times.

Transformation does not have a start and end date, he said, and planners will keep pushing "so the alliance can face any threat in the future."

NATO GENERAL DISCUSSES ALLIANCE CHANGES

Photo:  Helicopter Over Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force.
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
NATO General Outlines Summit Topics, Alliance Changes
By Karen Parrish
WASHINGTON, May 18, 2012 - NATO's plan for military operations in Afghanistan up to and beyond 2014 will be the top agenda item at the organization's May 20-21 summit in Chicago, a senior NATO official said.

Afghan forces are to take the security lead in operations throughout their country by the end of 2014, while International Security Assistance Force troop-contributing nations withdraw combat forces and assign trainers.

The alliance is now reviewing the number of forces Afghanistan will need beyond 2014, and how much other countries will pay to sustain them, Danish Army Gen. Knud Bartels, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, said in Brussels May 11 during a telephone interview with American Forces Press Service.

While the Chicago summit will not be a funding meeting, several coalition nations have announced or are expected to announce their planned post-2014 monetary contributions for Afghan forces, Bartels said.

"There is substantial work ongoing on this issue," he said. "Even though numbers have been circulating in the public and in the media, I think it's too early to define with certainty at which level we will stabilize, in due time, the Afghan national security forces."
Those forces are now surging and will soon reach the agreed-on cap of 352,000, Bartels noted.

"We'll have to look at how we reduce in size, close to 2014," he said, "and this, of course, will have to be correlated with the funding issue."

Bartels said there will likely be "pretty strong indications coming out of Chicago" about NATO views on the question of future Afghan force size.

"What I expect out of Chicago is that the NATO nations and their partners in [the International Security Assistance Force] come to agreement as to how they see the strategy, post-2014, unfolding in relation to Afghanistan," he said.

A number of nations, including France, Italy, Germany and the United States, have already signed bilateral strategic agreements with Afghanistan, Bartels said.

"You could say that the correlation of all those agreements [and] strategies will form the main part of the package ... to support Afghanistan post-2014," he said.

The general said the summit will also highlight NATO's ongoing work to reshape the alliance's military response capability. Much of what is needed to transform the organization has "already been taken care of," he said, or is in progress. Changes include implementing a new command structure, adjusting the organization's defense planning process, and extending the "smart defense" collaborative approach to buying and operating military equipment.

NATO will adopt a new, leaner and more-flexible command structure starting this year, Bartels said.

"We should be able to handle all types of operations," he said. "It will also be smaller, and therefore make it possible for nations to [realize] savings, which can be reinvested in other areas."

The alliance's defense planning process, Bartels said, is designed to ensure that member nations bring the right forces to the group's collective military formations.
"We are further refining that, and we may need to adjust that process," he said.
NATO's smart defense strategy aims to ensure the alliance can buy as much equipment as possible for the best-possible price and ensure interoperability, Bartels said.
"This will, of course, assist us to be able to cooperate on the future battlefield," he said.
NATO forces in Afghanistan are well-trained, well-equipped and well-led for that specific operation, Bartels said.

"What the future will bring us -- well, I don't think any of us really knows," he said. "Therefore we have to be ready to handle a broad spectrum of possible types of operation in the future."

NATO needs to shape its force and equipment buys to support a "strong requirement" for side-by-side operations involving bigger forces, Bartels said. Future NATO military action will be joint and multinational, he noted, and preparing for that means changing mindsets and breaking paradigms to establish a collective approach to defense.
Bartels said he wants summit attendees and NATO leaders to keep in mind that service members are the foundation of the alliance's success.

"We should never forget that the real work is being done by the men and women of the armed forces, deployed in operations," he said. "I would like to ... express my thanks to them for the work they're doing."

COMBINED FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN SEIZE 200 LBS OF OPIUM

Picture:  The Sea Witch, 19th Century Opium Ship.  Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Combined Force Seizes Opium Cache
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan , May 18, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force discovered a drug cache of opium during a patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan's Helmand province yesterday, military officials reported.

The cache contained approximately 200 pounds of opium, officials said. Security forces confiscated the drugs without incident.

In May 15 Afghanistan operations:
-- A combined force discovered a weapons cache containing 30 mortar rounds, 30 mortar fuses, one grenade and several rocket-propelled grenades in the Burkah district of Baghlan province. The confiscated material was destroyed.

-- A combined force discovered a weapons and explosives cache containing two 107 mm rockets, multiple anti-tank mines, an improvised rocket launcher, one machine-gun tripod, one 12.7 mm machine gun, some 82 mm mortar ammunition and 66 gallons of liquid explosives in the Zurmat district of Paktiya province.

REMARKS AT U.S.- AFGHANISTAN SECURITY CONSULTATIONS FORUM

FROM:  DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak and Afghan Interior Minister General Bismellah Khan Mohammadi. April 10, 2012
Remarks by Secretary Panetta, Afghan Defense Minister Wardak and Afghan Interior Minister General Mohammadi at U.S.-Afghanistan Security Consultations Forum

SECRETARY LEON PANETTA:  Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, let me welcome you all to the third meeting of the Afghanistan Security Consultation Forum.   This is our third meeting and the first one that I've had the honor to participate in, and I look forward to it.

            Minister Wardak, Minister Mohammadi, we welcome you back to Washington, D.C.  I also believe that -- it is truly a pleasure and privilege to see both of you here after our last meeting in Kabul.  I had the chance to meet with both of you in Kabul, and many of the issues that we will discuss today are issues that we discussed in Kabul.  And so I look forward that continuing discussion with both of you.

            I want to -- I want to extend my congratulations to both of you on the progress that the Afghan forces and the Afghan police are making.  I have often stated that I believe 2011 was a turning point, that we suddenly were able to see that the Afghan army and police develop the capabilities to provide security and have developed capabilities to implement the kind of operations that are necessary to providing security.  And the fact that they have been able to do that is in many ways a compliment to both of you for your leadership and for the leadership of the Afghanistani officials that have had a responsibility to ensure that you are able to develop the kind of security operations that are essential to our ability to make the transition.

            I also want to congratulate both of you for the work that was done on developing the very important MOUs on detention and also on night raid operations, special operations.  The fact that we were able to achieve an agreement, I think, was a very important step forward to ensure that we will make the transition to Afghan operations, but we will do it in a responsible and effective way.  And I thank both of you for the leadership that you've provided in being able to achieve those very important agreements.

            We also recognize the sacrifices that your forces have made.  ISAF forces, the United States, all of us have endured sacrifices, and we have seen that many of our brave men and women in uniform have in fact given their lives in this war.  And I've had the opportunity to get to speak to many of their loved ones and send messages to their loved ones indicating that -- not only our sorrow but the fact that they gave their lives fighting for what they believed in.

            And Afghani troops have done the same thing.  Many Afghanistanis have lost their lives in fighting for what they believe in, in the hope that you would one day have a country that you could truly call your own, a sovereign country that can secure and govern itself.

            And ultimately that's the goal we all seek.  It's the goal of the United States, it's the goal of Afghanistan to achieve an Afghanistan that can govern and secure itself.

            This forum is an effort to move forward in trying to achieve those goals.  So it's another milestone in the important effort to strengthen our partnership, not only now but beyond 2014.

            I look forward in this forum to discussing the future of the ANSF, the levels that you will achieve in terms of a surge and ultimately the levels that you can sustain in the future.  I look forward to discussing our strategic partnership and our ability to arrive at a strategic partnership agreement, which will again be another important step forward in our relationship, and also the regional security challenges that we will have to continue to confront in order to ultimately have a sovereign Afghanistan that can in fact be secure and govern itself.

            We look forward to continuing to work with you, and I'm confident that, as we work with you, we can achieve our shared goal and help your people be able to have a sovereign Afghanistan that can truly govern and secure itself and that can ensure that, never again, will it become a safe haven for those who tried to attack and were successful in attacking this country.  That is our mutual goal:  to safeguard your people and to safeguard the people of the United States of America
.
            Thank you for being here, and I look forward to a successful forum.

            Minister Wardak.

            MINISTER ABDUL RAHIM WARDAK:  Thank you.

            Thank you Mr. Secretary. It's always a great pleasure and honor to be here among our closest allies and friends. We thank you most sincerely for inviting us to participate in this third round of U.S.-Afghanistan Security Forum. We are grateful and you have personally our utmost respect and admiration for your leadership and dedication to the status of our joint nations.

            Through the U.S.'s sterling contribution, Afghanistan has been delivered from years of destruction, tyranny and oppression. And we are not an ungrateful nation.

            We fully recognize your generosity. We acknowledge and honor your sacrifices.  We pay tribute to all those brave souls that have paid the ultimate price for the mission in Afghanistan, and we pray for the families of the fallen and wounded.

            So allow me, Mr. Secretary that on behalf of my country, my government and the Afghan national security forces, to express our profound gratitude and everlasting appreciation for all the help, assistance, cooperation and genuine support which we have received from U.S. in our struggle for prosperity and stability in Afghanistan.

            Mr. Secretary there is no doubt we are at a critical juncture. But after the years of struggle, tomorrow's goal is in sight.  What matters today is our wealth.  The costs have been high and the stakes even higher, but the good news is that the hope has been replaced by the real progress, though it has been dearly bought. So the continued U.S. support and cooperation will play a decisive and vital role to enable the Afghans to smoothly sail to a to a sound foundation through the transformation decade and beyond and to provide for responsibility and stability and realize the hope and dreams of the Afghan people, who have experienced nothing but miseries and suffering for several decades while they were fighting for themselves, but they have also been fighting, in the past and right now, for the collective freedom of the humanity.

            And Mr. Secretary, no one should have any doubt on our firm determination to succeed.  It's a question of our national survival.  And we do not wish to be a burden on the U.S. or the rest of the international community more than it is required.

            So we assure you that we will spare no effort and sacrifices to ensure the inevitability of our victory in this joint endeavor.  And we are looking forward to our enduring and long-term partnership.  We consider it vital for the survival of our country in that very volatile and dangerous neighborhood.
            We thank you Mr. Secretary for inviting us, and we will take the opportunity to further elaborate the issues which will help us to go forward. You have come a long way on this difficult journey with us, so I'm sure that you will stay with us to our final destination.
            SEC. PANETTA:  Thank you, Mr. Minister.

            Minister Mohammadi.

            MINISTER GENERAL BISMELLAH KHAN MOHAMMADI:  (Through interpreter.)  On my own behalf, I would also like to thank you for hosting the third round of the security consultation. And I thank you for your kind invitation and it's an honor to be here with you. And also allow me to express my sincerest gratitude for all of the sacrifices, lost lives and treasures of this country that have been sacrificed for our mutual goals for the survival of our nation in Afghanistan.  I do thank you and I offer my condolences to you and to the families of all of those who have lost their loved ones.

            As you said, during the past decade we have had many successes, many accomplishments, particularly during the last year, vis-a-vis security advancements.  We have seen many victories in southern Afghanistan, in eastern Afghanistan, in all of Afghanistan. This visit that we have embarked upon during a time of destiny, during a time that we're going through a transitional processes.

            As you said, this involves having capabilities of conducting night raids, and slowly but surely we have seen a decrease in the presence of security contracting firms, and we do hope that this ongoing cooperation, the strategic collaboration will bring many successes and is signed as soon as possible.

            The third round of the security consultation takes place at a time when, next year the start of the transition process from NATO forces to Afghan security forces will start to take place.  I am certain that these face-to-face meetings that we have in this framework of the security consultation forum will pave the way for a successful conference in Chicago, and we do hope that the Chicago conference and the decisions that are made there will affect security in Afghanistan towards reaching and bring the scenario towards reaching our mutual national goals.

            I do thank all of your unconditional generosity, all of the aid that you have rendered to Afghan national security forces, and we do hope that, shoulder to shoulder, we can reach, sooner rather than later, our mutual objectives.
            Thank you so very much.

AFGHAN FORCES TO TAKE LEAD IN ALL SPECIAL OPERATIONS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

U.S.-Afghan Pact Shows Relationship's Evolution, Official Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2012 - A special operations agreement U.S. and Afghan officials signed yesterday is part of the "natural evolution" as Afghans take on more security responsibility in Afghanistan, a senior Pentagon official said today.

A memorandum of understanding that will lead to Afghan forces taking the lead on all special operations missions in Afghanistan is a step forward and marks progress in the transition of security responsibility to Afghan security forces, George Little, acting assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, told reporters.

Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, and Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak signed the memorandum in the Afghan capital of Kabul. While the agreement does cover night raids, Little said, it reaches beyond that aspect to all special operations activities in the country.

The agreement "codifies what has been happening for some time -- that is Afghan-led operations," Little said. The night raids have been an effective tool for U.S. and Afghan special operations forces, he added, and the vast majority of the raids are planned and led by Afghans. Afghans are responsible for entering private residences.

Special operations have been highly effective in the past, and today most of such operations conducted in Afghanistan are Afghan-led, Little said.

"Our expectation is that they will continue, and we will work closely to coordinate with the Afghans now that they are in the lead," he said. "We have every expectation that we will continue to pursue [these operations]."

The agreement specifies that special operations will be approved by the Afghan Operational Coordination Group. The operations will be conducted by Afghan forces "with support from U.S. forces in accordance with Afghan laws."

The Afghan coordination group will review and approve all special operations missions. The group will participate in intelligence fusion, monitor mission execution and make notifications to provincial governors. The Afghan security forces will establish regional operational coordination groups.

A bilateral committee co-chaired by Wardak and Allen will ensure coordination between Afghan and U.S. forces.

"The United States is prepared to engage in the full range of support activities for Afghan-led special operations missions," Little said. The support includes providing intelligence, air support, medical evacuation support, security and other means of support.

Even before the agreement, officials said, more than 97 percent of night operations are combined operations involving both coalition and Afghan forces.

Almost 40 percent of night operations are now Afghan-led. About 90 percent of these operations occur without a shot being fired, and less than 1 percent result in civilian casualties.
 

AFGHAN FORCES ARE IMPROVING ACCORDING TO GENERAL ALLEN

The following excerpt is from a Department of Defense American Forces Press Service e-mail: 

Afghan Security Forces Improving Quickly, Allen Says

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2012 - Afghan forces are improving faster than coalition leaders or they themselves anticipated, the commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said here today.

"They really are better than we thought that they would be at this point; more critically, they are better than they thought that they would be at this point," Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen told reporters during a Pentagon news conference.

The transition to Afghan security responsibility -- now in the second of a planned five phases -- is the linchpin to mission success in Afghanistan, Allen said. Though his top priority on taking command in July was to keep pressure on the enemy, he added, the push to develop Afghan army and police capabilities was a "very close second."

The general, who testified last week before the House and Senate armed services committees, noted Afghan troops' abilities will form part of the equation he uses to recommend future U.S. troop levels after the remaining 23,000 American "surge" forces leave Afghanistan by the end of September.

Allen said he won't know what level of combat power is still required until the end of this year's spring and summer fighting season. Key indicators then, he explained, will be the state of the insurgency, the operational environment commanders anticipate in 2013, and the capabilities of the Afghan national security forces.

"It is not just a matter of what to do with the remaining 68,000 U.S. troops," the general noted. "I must also carefully consider the combination of forces in-theater. There will still be some 40,000 ISAF forces in the field, and increasingly capable and increasingly numerous Afghan security forces."

His recommendation will reflect a composite number of U.S., international and indigenous forces, not an American force as "a separate and distinct entity," he added.

Two Afghan security force members died and more than 60 were wounded while combating violent protests that occurred after last month's Quran burnings, he said.

"I could just as easily point to the literally thousands of operations, some large, some small, that they conduct alongside ISAF troops, and often in the lead, every month as we go forward," the general told reporters.

During the last two weeks, Afghan security forces arrested more than 50 insurgents and killed around six, including several who were planning to assassinate the governor of Balkh province, Allen said. They also captured several caches of explosives, weapons and bomb-making materials, he noted, while Afghan police members are contributing to security in cities and towns, most recently during the Nowruz new year celebrations.

"I know people will look at these and other examples and say they're anecdotal, that we still face real challenges in attrition and ethnic composition, even corruption in some of the ranks," Allen acknowledged. "I'm not saying things are perfect, and much work remains to be done."

The general said for every bribe accepted by an Afghan troop and for every instance of so-called "green on blue" attacks pitting an Afghan in uniform against a coalition member, "I can cite hundreds of other examples where they do perform their duties, where the partnership is strong, the confidence of the Afghan forces is building, and where the trust and confidence we have in them and that they have in themselves grows steadily."

Allen said critics never will convince him that Afghan soldiers and police don't have the will to fight for their government, for their country and for their fellow citizens.

"That willingness, I believe, is the thing most hopeful about the entire effort of transition," he said. "They want this responsibility, they want to lead, and we're going to help them to do that."