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.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS AT LONDON CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks at the London Conference on Afghanistan
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Lancaster House
London, United Kingdom
December 4, 2014

Thank you very much, all of you, for being here. And thank you for the privilege of being part of this very important conference. And I want to thank Prime Minister Cameron for hosting and, you, President Ghani for cohosting this effort. We saw each other in Brussels. You’ve been on a whirlwind tour, and I will tell everybody here that everywhere that he Chief Executive Abdullah are going they are impressing people. And I will tell you this is one person who is not surprised.

I had the privilege of spending quite a few hours in Kabul during the post-election period, prior to the creation of the unity government. And during that time, I saw two men, both of whom were convinced, and took steps to prove it, that Afghanistan was far more important than them personally. And we are here today at a very different kind of meeting than might’ve taken place because they were both willing to exhibit enormous leadership, statesmanship, and were prepared to put their own political interests, as manifested through many of their supporters, behind the interests of unity and of country. And I will tell you, I think that augurs enormously well for the future. That’s why I think we can come to this conference with considerable confidence.

At the Tokyo conference two years ago, we all agreed that we would meet this year here in London and take stock. And we are taking stock in a very different place than we might have been were it not for their choices. Since the time of Tokyo, Afghanistan has obviously made enormous progress. It’s just a transformation taking place, and you have to go there to see it and feel it, notwithstanding the difficulties of security, the difficulties of an insurgent force that still chooses to kill people randomly rather than offer a platform for progress and for the future. So Afghan forces have now assumed responsibility for security across the country, with the United States and our international allies shifting to a supporting role.

Politically, Afghans achieved something incredible. They achieved the first democratic transfer of power from one elected leader to another in their entire history. And they have continued to work to improve governance. They have committed not just to maintaining but to building on the progress that was made in the last decade, including continued advances in respect to the rights of women and girls. I was there last year and met with 10 women entrepreneurs, who were among the most remarkable women I’ve ever met, each of whom were taking extraordinary risks to be leaders, but they were making a remarkable difference. Their voices and their votes gave Afghans the clarity that they will not tolerate any backsliding, and nor should we. This is a country whose leaders and whose people are wisely focused on the future.

In Tokyo, Afghanistan and its partners pledged to go forward based on mutual accountability and sustainability. That framework remains the touchstone for gauging progress. President Ghani and CEO Abdullah have presented a reform agenda that commits to these principles, and they’ve begun backing up these words with action already. During their short time in office, they’ve taken steps to combat money laundering and corruption, improve the country’s fiscal situation, and foster better relations with their neighbors, including importantly – perhaps most importantly – Pakistan.

One specific area where the new Afghans’ Government’s engagement has made a meaningful impact is in expanding economic connectivity across the region. I welcome the agreement yesterday between Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan on the CASA-1000 electricity transmission project. Advancing this project to completion would make real the idea of a regional energy market connecting South and Central Asia. This project is important because Afghanistan’s economic future depends on improved connectivity with regional and international markets. And to facilitate that broader goal, I am pleased to report that the United States and Afghanistan have agreed to improve private sector links between our countries by issuing visas that will be valid longer and will allow for multiple entries for eligible business travelers, students, exchange visitors, and tourists.

The United States has met the commitments that we made in Tokyo to support Afghanistan’s development, and we are convinced that this extraordinary commitment of U.S. support serves our long-term national security interests in Afghanistan, in the region, as well as assists Afghanistan to stand on its own two feet. And we are committed to ensuring that Afghanistan can never again be used as a safe haven from which terrorists can threaten the international community. We know that the most effective way to advance this objective is to support Afghanistan’s political unity and its security. Between 2012 and 2015, we will have provided more than 8 billion in civilian assistance, and the Administration will continue to request from Congress extraordinary levels of assistance through 2017 and gradually declining levels beyond that date, consistent with the terms of the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed by our two governments in 2012. And we will continue, clearly, to invest in Afghanistan’s growth and development.

Looking ahead, we will engage regularly and constructively with Afghan leaders both in government and civil society to assist where and when we can. And we are confident that the policies outlined today by President Ghani and CEO Abdullah will result in a more stable and prosperous Afghanistan. So this is really an extraordinary moment of transition. It’s a moment of transformation, and the possibilities are so enormous. It’s hard to think that those who want to go backwards have the ability to interrupt progress in the way that they do, but what is clear to me is the majority of the people of Afghanistan by vast proportions – 85, 90 percent – are supporting this president and supporting the current direction of Afghanistan. While recognizing this progress, we also need to be realistic and remain conscious that there are these threats. And we need to recognize the urgency, therefore, of continuing to back the Afghan people, which is what brings us here to London for this conference.

My friends, we have a government in Kabul that merits our confidence and our support. And never before has the prospect of a more fully independent and sustainable Afghanistan been more clear than it is at this moment as we assemble here in London. The Afghan people should be very proud of this progress. And as they continue to move forward, they can be confident of the support of the international community. The many countries represented here today have been and must continue to be generous in our financial commitment. We must all help the Afghan people to build the future that they deserve through sustained assistance, but also with the determination to respond to Afghan reforms with private investment, improved market access, and deeper economic engagement. A stable and a peaceful Afghanistan that is at peace with its neighbors is in the interests of all of us, and we all expect and hope for sure that the authorities in Kabul will make good on their promises.

One thing I have learned about this region is it’s a region of unbelievable guts and grit and determination. There’s no question in my mind that the pride of the people of Afghanistan, the people of Pakistan, the people of India could have a very different future facing them. This can be a powerhouse of an economic region, and with our help, with our ability to help this government to deliver the promises it has made, we can, I think, write a very different future for all of us for the long term. We have to be faithful to our commitments as our part of that bargain, and I’m confident that everybody here will do so, and together we will write a very different history for South Central Asia. Thank you. (Applause.)

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH AFGHAN OFFICIALS AFTER THEIR MEETING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With Afghan Officials After Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

UNAMA Special Representative Jan Kubis; Afghan Presidential Candidate Abdullah Abdullah; Afghan Presidential Candidate Ashraf Ghani

United Nations Assistance Mission

Kabul, Afghanistan

August 8, 2014

MR. ABDULLAH: Ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to inform our people at this very critical moment of our history that today myself, our teams, and Dr. Ashraf Ghani and his team – we are taking another step forward in the interests of start strengthening national unity in the country, strengthening the rule of law in the country, and also bringing a hope for the future – a better future for the people of Afghanistan.

Today’s joint statement is the result of efforts by both teams – Dr. Arshaf Ghani at the top of his own team and our own team work together. And we are also delighted to have the support of the international community here, and I would like to thank Secretary Kerry for his effort in supporting our joint efforts for the better future for Afghanistan, as well as Ambassador Kubis who has facilitated part of these efforts earlier.

As a result of today’s joint statement, which gives better hopes for the people of Afghanistan, we are committed to the audit process which is underway, and we will be cooperative in pursuing and pushing it in order to complete it, hopefully, at such a time that it will help Afghanistan also to attain its own international (inaudible), which are important for us. Legitimacy of the process will be restored as a result of this comprehensive internationally supervised audit.

In regards to the political agreement, once again, I reiterate that today was another step forward for the affirmation of both sides’ interests and commitment to the previous agreement – political framework agreement, and also further developing it and also moving forward in the implementation of it. So from now on, I hope that the atmosphere of campaigning is behind us, hopefully completely to a large extent, and then a new phase in the political life of the people of Afghanistan will start, and we are committed to working together on the basis of our common vision for the future of the country in order to utilize the opportunities which are ahead of us and to be able to deal with the challenges which we are faced with.

And we thank once again the commitment of the international partners, not only in support of our effort, which today’s event is another example, but also their reaffirmation, reaffirmation of their commitment, that a legitimate outcome of the elections will help them, enable them, to fulfill their commitments to all the people of Afghanistan, in support of the people of Afghanistan, in strengthening the rule of law, in helping the economy of the country, and helping security in Afghanistan and also the strengthening of our institutions.

So I would like to thank Secretary Kerry, Ambassador Kubis, but more than anything else, Dr. Ashraf Ghani, for his spirit of cooperation throughout the talks, and his colleagues. And hopefully from now on the people of Afghanistan will be witness to a new phase in the political life of the country.

Thank you.

MR. GHANI: Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to share with you as my dear colleague Dr. Abdullah has shared with you that he and I have reached agreement and signed a communique on defining our future cooperation. This communique reflects our sense of national obligation and our duty to put the interests of Afghanistan – every child, every woman, every man – above everything else.

The country cannot take uncertainty; uncertainty is a threat. Our action today and in following weeks should create an environment of certainty and trust. We trust each other. We will work with each other to fulfill this national duty and obligation to every Afghan.

The basis of our cooperation is defined by our mutual commitment to the constitution of Afghanistan. The constitution reflects our supreme values, because our constitution is a reflection of our Islamic values and national values and our sense of aspirations for being a society that we deserve. We therefore are committed to make sure that every article of the constitution acquires embodiment in practice in our relationships, our sense of reforms that every Afghan will proudly claim that she or he is a citizen of this country, and therefore enjoys equal rights and obligations.

Because of our commitments, previous commitments that, again, we thank Secretary Kerry for having facilitated, we’ve moved now to direct intra-Afghan discussions and obligations. We thank Secretary Kerry and, of course, Ambassador Kubis and all the international community for having performed a facilitating role. But we the leaders of the two teams, the candidates that the people of – the people – the two candidates that the people of Afghanistan voted for overwhelmingly bear the sole responsibility for peace, stability and democratic values in this country. And I hope that our commitment today honors back the commitment of our people who participated, braved all elements to ensure that democratic values were not just theoretical statements but actions of millions of individuals.

To honor those individuals, we have committed ourselves to one of the most comprehensive audits imaginable in history. And we affirm today again both our support for this process of audit and our commitment to abide by its results. But to underline our sense of unity of purpose, we are affirming that we will form a government of national unity to implement what we promised during the campaign.

What unites us is far greater than what divided us during the campaign, because each one of us and both of us are committed to the well-being of every Afghan child, every woman, every man – particularly the poor, the disabled, the displaced, those who cannot live in dignity and are in search of food on an everyday basis.

Political agreement, political consensus is key to coming out of a vicious circle to a virtuous circle. We live in a dangerous world and in a dangerous neighborhood, the Islamic world – countries that did not practice consensus and tolerance of each other or in full, in bringing unbelievable hardship to their people. We just need to recall Syria and Iraq today. Because of this we are determined that our beloved Afghanistan will be the first country that will start a virtuous circle of unity, reform commitment, and full tolerance.

We hope that by end of August the results of the audit will be completed and the next president of Afghanistan will be inaugurated, that Afghanistan takes its rightful place again in the community of nations and we bring an end to the sense of uncertainty. Our teams have started work in earnest to prepare work on transition, how to address the daily lives of our people, their daily concerns for food, for milk, for security, for well-being, but more than anything else, for a sense of certainty. So there will no longer be election crisis, the crisis of uncertainty. The crisis of uncertainty must end, and we hope that together we can achieve what the people of Afghanistan expect us to achieve.

I am honored again by the nature of the dialogues that I’ve had with my brother and colleague, Dr. Abdullah, and we will continue. Every dialogue does not mean that immediately we agree on everything, but it’s remarkable how much we agree on. So we have an enormous foundation to go forward, and today I was delighted that Dr. Abdullah and I, like in the past when he was foreign minister and I was finance minister, could complete each other’s sentences in front of Secretary Kerry. That I take as a very good omen.

And I’d like to thank Secretary Kerry for his selfless help, for facilitating the agreement, but for particularly understanding that a nation and its leaders need to find their own way to stability, independence.

We thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your stewardship of the global well-being and for being such a friend of our country. And we hope to be working with you – both of us – and we look very much forward to continuing working, Ambassador Kubis, with you and with the international community.

MR. ABDULLAH: Here I realize that Mr. Rohshad, which is a famous longtime journalist in Afghanistan which has covered Afghanistan for many, many years and Afghans are familiar with his voice, he lost several members of his family in a terrorist attack last week, just a few days ago. He’s here. I express my deepest condolences to him, to his family, and to the people of Afghanistan. And I pray that the (inaudible) of sadness and tragedy is out of Afghanistan and Afghanistan is not witness to such tragic incidents. I wish you strength in the wake of this – after this tragic event.

MR. GHANI: I’d like to also take this opportunity to express my deepest condolences to Secretary Kerry for the cowardly murder of General Greene and for the attack on our military academy. Our military academy is the pride of our cooperation with the international community, particularly with the United States, U.K., and other members of ISAF.

General Greene was an engineer, never participated in combat. He was here to help us build one of the finest schools of engineering within our military academy. This sad event again reminds us why we must redouble our efforts to create peace, security, prosperity, and stability, which all of us need. And we thank again the United States for its cooperation in this area, and again, please Mr. Secretary, we express our deepest sympathies to the members of your armed forces, to the President of the United States, and to the families of General Greene.

SECRETARY KERRY: As-salaam alaykum. Good afternoon. Before I say some words about the statements that you’ve just heard from Afghanistan’s future leaders – and I mean leaders plural – one of these men is going to be president, but both of these men are going to be critical to the future of Afghanistan no matter what. And to my right and left, you see their supporters here in great strength, all of them supporting the very eloquent, very precise, and very important statements that were made here today. And I will say more about that in a minute.

But first, I want to say a brief word about the situation in Iraq. President Obama acted expeditiously and appropriately to authorize targeted military action and to provide significant humanitarian assistance to the people of Iraq at this very difficult time when it is vitally needed. The stakes for Iraq’s future could also not be more clear, and today’s crisis underscores them significantly. ISIL’s campaign of terror against the innocent, including the Yezedi and Christian minorities, and its grotesque targeted acts of violence show all the warning signs of genocide. For anyone who needed a wakeup call, this is it. ISIL is not fighting on behalf of Sunnis. ISIL is not fighting for a stronger Iraq. ISIL is fighting to divide and destroy Iraq, and it’s fighting to create a state of its own brutal oppression, a place where chaos and brutality – ruthless brutality – governs.

Now with a gut-wrenching humanitarian crisis unfolding before our eyes and the roles of the starving and the sick growing daily and the potential of further executions – cold blooded executions – taking place because people are a minority huddled for safety on a mountaintop – because of that the United States, with President Obama’s decision, has made its decision that it must save these lives, and the world needs to join us in a condemnation of ISIL’s actions. President Obama has been unequivocal that he will do what is necessary and what is in our national interest to confront ISIL and its threat to the security of the region and to our own security in the long run.

It has been equally clear, as I have said in each of my visits to Iraq, in all my conversations with Iraqi and with regional leaders, that the only durable way to stop ISIL is for Iraq’s leaders themselves to unite and form a government that represents all of the people as rapidly as possible within their constitutional framework. They have moved very effectively so far to elect a speaker, to elect a president, and now the next step is to provide a prime minister, and we urge them to do so quickly.

I want to emphasize that in the President’s decision the safety and security of the men and women serving overseas for the United States is also a fundamental consideration, and I will remain very closely engaged with our Ambassador Stephen Beecroft, with our Assistant Secretary of State Brett McGurk, and our team on the ground as we work to ensure that our personnel who are in Erbil and Baghdad and across Iraq are secure.

Now that brings me quickly back to here and Afghanistan and to this important moment. We all know the risks to our personnel and particularly the risks to Afghans every single day. Mr. Rohshad, our heart goes out to you and to your family. You are one of many who have suffered over the course of these 13 years. And I believe that the words today of these two leaders, Dr. Ghani and Dr. Abdullah – more importantly the actions of these two leaders today – to unite for Afghanistan, to bring themselves together in the interest of their country, to define an Afghan roadmap for the way ahead is a very important transitional moment for Afghanistan.

Now, obviously – and I appreciate enormously their words with respect to the shooting of U.S. Army Major General Harold Greene three days ago. I want to say to General Greene’s family that universally in my visit here the first words out of the mouth of every Afghan has been to say how sorry they are, how much they regret what happened to this general who was here helping the people of this country, and they express to America and particularly to his family their deepest condolences.

General Greene, for all those who met him – I did not have the privilege of meeting him, but I’ve heard about him, and I’ve heard about him from General Dunford when I was here in the last two days – was a soldier’s soldier, even though he wasn’t in combat. He knew his people, he knew what he stood for, and for three decades, he loyally served his country in the United States Army. He was a humble man, a quiet man, and he earned the respect of military leaders for his singular ability to display wisdom. He was a thinker and an innovator who earned a doctorate from the University of Southern California and who used new technologies in order to try to help the young recruits that he was trying to teach at this school. Above all, he was a family man and a loyal mentor of his community. One of his Army colleagues summed it up this way just by saying, “He was a good guy. Harry was loved.” So we wish his loved ones the strength and the compassion that they need in order to be able to mourn the loss of a special man and themselves find the comfort of the days ahead.

Now I came here today at the direction of the president that I work for, President Obama, to continue the work of General Greene and so many other brave men and women, Afghans and Americans and many others from many other countries, more than 50, who have come together under ISAF in order to work for the future of Afghanistan. These are all people who have dedicated their lives to building a stable, united, sovereign Afghanistan.

During my last visit here, we stood right here in this room after several days of very intensive negotiations, and both candidates took a very important step towards that goal of a sovereign, unified, stable Afghanistan. They shook hands – they raised them high right here in front of all the people of Afghanistan and the world – to express their enthusiasm for the agreement, which began to set forth the road ahead.

But during recent weeks, as is often the case, a number of questions arose, both about the technical aspects of the audit process as well as the political questions about the political road ahead. So today, I’m very pleased to join them in a different kind of moment. I’m here to support them and to commend them on their leadership, on their initiative to be able to come together and work through some of these difficult issues. And it’s been our privilege to be able to facilitate, but this is really an Afghan solution to an Afghan problem. And that’s very important for the road ahead.

We now have in place the largest audit that the United Nations has ever conducted in any country in history, the deepest audit that they have ever conducted. And that’s why we have a big man here to do the job. (Laughter.) Ambassador Kubis is really dedicated to this, and we have in place the ability with both parties now agreeing to the rules of the road. Both parties have agreed to stay at it and both parties have agreed to live by the outcome. And they have understood that the United Nations will pour even additional energy into the effort to make this happen as competently and as rapidly as is humanly possible.

But in addition to the candidates coming together to define the audit road ahead with clarity, they have also come together to define the political road ahead. And as you’ve heard them, they’ve just described to you the ways in which they are going to work together from this moment forward in order to change the dialogue, change the rhetoric, begin to map out the future, work towards the transition, begin to figure out how to fix the economy, how to move the country forward – all of those issues which people have been working for 13 years, but because of the nature of an election and a transition have been stalled for a period of time. So both candidates have defined a road to a unity government, and they will begin now to meet together and to map out that transition ahead.

I don’t think anybody here would doubt that this is a major step for the road ahead for Afghanistan. It is coming almost singularly because both of these candidates are transforming themselves now into the statesmen that will be required to be the president of the country. And they are both focused on Afghanistan, not on themselves. Their supporters, who are passionate in support of their candidate, as they should be, are shifting their focus to the future and to Afghanistan.

The United States and the United Nations and the international community are deeply engaged in the post-election process solely to help the Afghan election institutions restore credibility to the voting process. We want every vote that was legitimately cast to be honored appropriately, and both candidates have agreed that that is their goal.

I want to commend the dedication of ISAF, the UN, particularly the efforts of Jan Kubis and Jeff Fischer and the others, all the people who’ve come from other countries in order to help this. ISAF has delivered every single ballot box from everywhere in the country to here in Kabul, and they are currently under lock and key and under security and will remain so to preserve the integrity of the election outcome. The UN has brought in specialists from around the world, and dozens more are on the way even as we speak today.

And I urge now to all countries invested in the effort, who have been part of this journey over the last years, and to others who may not have signed up to ISAF but can care about the future of Afghanistan – we need more election experts to come here as rapidly as possible to help to finish this on time. Their job is to ensure that the audit meets the laws of Afghanistan, the highest international standards, and most importantly the expectations of the people of Afghanistan. And the Afghan Independent Election Commission, the UN, and dozens of international observers are going to work together, hand in hand, in order to try to provide the outcome that the people of Afghanistan expect.

So let me be clear – this audit is not about winning and losing. It’s about achieving the credible result that the people of Afghanistan demand and deserve. The audit is only one part of the challenge. Equally important, if not more important, will be the actions of these two candidates in the days ahead. Dr. Abdullah and Dr. Ghani and their campaigns have made a profound decision today about that future. They’ve agreed to continue to translate the political agreement that they’ve reached – that they have reached, that they have worked on, that they have defined, the Afghan approach. They have committed to continue, no matter who becomes president, in order to find a government that can help Afghanistan move forward.

I want to make clear that this agreement respects the Afghan constitution, which the United States of America strongly supports. It does not establish a parliamentary system, it doesn’t change the role of the president as head of government, but it does create a new position of the chief executive, who will help to manage and work together to bring people onto the same path and to create efficiency and modernity in the governance. The agreement is a critical opportunity for both candidates to do what they’ve just said, which is move beyond the campaign and into the process of governing.

It’s a pivotal moment for Afghanistan. The stakes are high. It will depend on them and the United Nations to help move this forward appropriately. And I think there are high expectations from the world. It is our hope, obviously, that when this job is done NATO partners would very much look forward to welcoming President Karzai’s successor with his unity government partner in Wales at the NATO summit in September so that we can all come together, embrace their vision, and begin to put in place the government that Afghanistan wants and deserves. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Ladies and gents, we now have time for roughly two questions. Please wait for the microphone. Is the microphone ready? No microphone? Okay, you may have to speak up in that case.

The first question, please. Rativ Nudi from TOLOnews. Rativ, yes. Please stand up. Speak up, please.

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

MODERATOR: Maybe not.

QUESTION: I would like to ask a question about the framework agreement. After (inaudible) Afghanistan (inaudible), there have been some arguments among – before the election campaigns, among both the candidates on the matter of the new government. As you say, (inaudible) change the (inaudible), and also it doesn’t change the responsibility of the president. But exactly, what would be the responsibilities of the (inaudible)?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me let the next president speak to that. (Laughter.)

MR. GHANI: (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY KERRY: I didn’t mean to create a news (inaudible), but go ahead.

MR. GHANI: Thank you for your question. We’re committed to giving this post specific functions and the work ahead of us is precisely definition, of course. But what I want to emphasize is not what is going to be in the decree. What I want to emphasize is our commitment to cooperation, to unity in all spheres of government, life, and responsibilities. A decree is a piece of paper if it is not embodied in a bed of impasses. So we will begin with the problem to which we will commit ourselves and then agree on the best division of labor that will enable (inaudible).

MR. ABDULLAH: Thank you. And in the same spirit that was mutually accepted that we work together towards the formation of national unity government in every eventuality, because there will not be two people with the same number of votes as a result of the audit. One will have more votes; one will have a little bit more – less votes. And then in order to help create, establish a sort of win-win situation not only for our two camps, but more importantly for the people of Afghanistan we have agreed on this mutual program. And there are some details attached to it. We are committed to work together to develop it further and our teams will start working on this, on the details of it, of a few days, leaving the outcome of the elections aside or what has happened in the past, but rather looking towards the future for the interest of the national unity of the government in the effectiveness and competence of future government of Afghanistan, with every eventuality which might come up as a result of the audit process.

QUESTION: Sir, can I --

MODERATOR: No. Sorry, folks, but we’re doing this in order. Sorry. We have --

QUESTION: I have two questions.

MODERATOR: -- very, very short time. Ladies and gents, we are very short for time. We have time for one more question, I’m sorry to say, just one more question. Please don’t stand up, but do speak up. Michael Gordon, New York Times.

QUESTION: I’ll speak up, can’t stand up. First, to Secretary Kerry: Secretary Kerry, last month you brokered an important agreement here which – for the audit of ballots and power-sharing arrangements. And no sooner did you leave than problems arose here in Kabul on carrying forward this agreement. Beyond the enunciation of these broad principles about the value of the unity government, were there any concrete accomplishments during your day and a half of talks here, any concrete agreement on specific items of how the unity government will be structured? And if so, what were they?

And a second question for Secretary Kerry: You just mentioned the situation in Iraq and how President Obama authorized targeted airstrikes to stop an ISIL advance on Erbil or Baghdad, but it would appear from the statements that are made by senior officials that the Obama Administration’s strategy is to contain the ISIL threat, not necessarily roll it back. If the Iraqis were to form a multi-sectarian government, would the Obama Administration be prepared to use air power to help the Iraqis retake Fallujah, Mosul, and these territories that are under ISIS control? And will the Obama Administration now send arms to the Kurds, as they’ve been asking for?

And next, I want to state a question to the candidates, Dr. Abdullah and Dr. Ghani. (Laughter.) Can you cite any --

MR. ABDULLAH: (Off-mike.) (Laughter.)

QUESTION: No, one question for you. Can you each state without equivocation that you are confident you can achieve the inauguration of a new president before the NATO summit? What concrete accomplishments can you state were achieved here over the last day and a half?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me begin, Michael, by first – I want to answer the question on the – and I’m only going to answer part of it, because I believe it’s up to the two candidates to articulate the accomplishments, not me. But I will say to you that within the agreement that they have put together, there are very specific set of agreements that they’ve laid down, and they should describe it. So yes, there are specific accomplishments.

Secondly, your judgment about very quickly it sort of began to fray after we were here is not actually accurate. I think both candidates will tell you that for several days – five or six days, a week – there was a sense of energy and enthusiasm and euphoria, and people felt like they had come together. But then there was a lack of clarity about some of the steps to be taken within the audit process itself, and there were a couple of questions about terminology regarding the political framework agreement. Those have now been worked through, both of them. And that’s what brings everybody back here with a greater clarity about the steps that we’ve taken. That is why both candidates are here today to say they are not asking for further criteria or changes, they have agreed to what has been laid down by Jan Kubis and the UN, and they’ve agreed on the process, they will stay with the process, and they will abide by the process. That’s an accomplishment.

With respect to Iraq, President Obama has made it clear initially that his immediate response is to the crisis of a minority group that has been chased up into a mountain, that has been threatened with extinction, told that they will be executed, and who are seeking refuge in a mountain where they are dying because of their exposure in the elements. So he is immediately responding to that need to provide humanitarian assistance and also, because of the advance of ISIL, to make it clear that American personnel who are at risk are going to be protected by the United States of America and that those strikes were authorized in the event that they begin to move in any direction, either towards those people on the mountain or towards personnel that may be in danger.

With respect to the formation of government in the future, the President has taken no option off the table. And there are current discussions taking place, and they will continue to take place with respect to those options.

MR. ABDULLAH: On the date, 31st of August, we are committed to work with a cooperative experts to achieve that goal and to make sure that we are there by the end of August, the audit process is completed, without sacrificing the credibility and legitimacy of the audit process, because that’s the goal. But the goal – the time is also very important because of our international commitments, and also more important because of the Afghan people’s expectation. They want to see an outcome. And from now on, I hope that the people of Afghanistan will be more hopeful, will have much better sense of certainty now that we have gone beyond talking about an agreement, a framework, but rather starting – started stepping in the road – on the road towards formation of national unity government whatever the outcome of the audit process was. And there is a joint statement attached to that, is that framework – political framework agreement, which is very clear, and it’s – the joint statement has elaborated the vision, common vision of both candidates, both teams towards the future of Afghanistan and also the (inaudible). Thank you.

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

MR. GHANI: Questions are over, I think.

PARTICIPANT: (Off-mike.)

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

MR. GHANI: First, we’ve brought clarity to the audit process in that it is going to end as soon as feasible. We are categorically committed to accepting the results of the audit and the date for the inauguration of the next president of Afghanistan. I hope that this date can become very firm within a week to ten days, pending on – but we do not want to commit ourselves to a fixed date today because that date will then drive the process and people will (inaudible). So our flexibility on this very issue is the cornerstone of our consensus, and this should be grasped as a very important process. We have committed that the audit process now is going to pick up speed. Yesterday we accomplished 720 boxes, which was a benchmark, and we hope that they can speed this up and credibly reach a higher level that, again, needs to be determined by our technical people.

On the political side, a concrete achievement is that now we’re seeking a comprehensive agreement in our own languages, in our own categories of reference, with full embodiment of the constitution as the cornerstone of everything we do, because questions ahead of us. We’ve put those ambiguities behind us. The constitutional framework is the cornerstone. The authorities of the president as defined in the constitution are going to be exercised. We are seeking a government of national unity on the basis of a common platform that is going to deliver the necessary reforms. I think these are very significant achievements, and most significantly of all, we are putting the past behind us, we’re looking to the future.

The communique is signed by us, by both of us, and it will be issued to you, because this is a community. The full agreement, as we described, is going to require immense amounts of work from our teams and from ourselves. We as the leaders have committed to intensive dialogue to be – to create a shared understanding of challenges and opportunities. And let me underline: Afghanistan is not just challenges. It is enormous (inaudible). And one of the most significant is that the next president of Afghanistan will have the full legitimacy that has come from an audited process that does not have any parallel anywhere. And a sense of commitment and maturity of the Afghan political elite that understands that solving the problems of our country cannot happen on the basis of the winner-take-all approach. Our mutual – the mutual acknowledgment of our dependence for the good of the country is an enormous accomplishment, and that’s the foundation on the basis of which we hope to build and continue. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Ladies --

QUESTION: (Inaudible) question.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) question.

MODERATOR: Ladies and gents, we are pushed for time. I’m sorry, but we are pushed for time, so --

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

MODERATOR: The two candidates must leave, and Secretary Kerry as well. Sorry.

QUESTION: Do you think in Gaza it’s genocide? Would you use the two words genocide --

MODERATOR: We are pushed for time. Thank you very much for your attention and your patience, folks. Thank you very much, everyone.

SECRETARY KERRY PLEAS WITH U.S. SENATE TO CONFIRM STATE DEPARTMENT NOMINEES

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

State Department Nominees

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

July 10, 2014

---

Tonight I landed in Kabul where the United States is working intensely to help address an election crisis. I came here from Beijing after days of meetings on one of the world’s most important strategic relationships in the world’s most dynamic region. I am reminded every day as Secretary that the world demands our engagement more than ever before.
But we can’t lead if we are not present.

That’s why I want to make a personal plea to my friends in the United States Senate to please confirm the State Department’s nominees and confirm them now. This very minute, we have 58 nominees pending before the Senate, including 43 ambassadors. That means we’re going without our strongest voice on the ground every day in more than 25 percent of the world. This very minute, we have immensely qualified nominees for Assistant Secretaries for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance and International Organizations. They have waited 356 days and 254 days for a confirmation vote. That means we are not as strong as we need to be when rogue countries threaten proliferation regimes. That means we don’t have our full presence to defend Israel and our allies in multilateral organizations, or to seek ways to reform the UN. Finally, we have the Director General of the Foreign Service – a career diplomat and former Ambassador to Guatemala – awaiting confirmation for 276 days. If confirmed, he will manage the global deployment of our diplomatic corps. However, until he is confirmed not only are we weakened due to lack of ambassadors, we are weakened because we lack top leadership at home in lifting up the line officers of daily diplomacy.

Good diplomacy doesn’t tie one hand behind our back. I revere the Senate. Every member of the Senate wants America to succeed in the world. We have a Minority Leader who was my classmate in 1984 who I’ve seen firsthand work on and care about foreign policy very personally from South Africa in the 1980’s to Burma today. I know he wants America to be strong in the world. I think all of us agree that the United States should see its foreign policy professionals confirmed so that America is well represented.

But today it’s not happening. Between flights from Beijing to Kabul, I spoke with Leader Reid. We’re in complete agreement that world events demand that the Senate rise above political partisanship and confirm these nominees, and I was struck by Harry’s poignant and pointed comment on the Senate floor this morning that “we are being held up here as a country from doing the country’s work as a result of this stalling.”

I see it every day. It matters. It really matters. All of us were shocked when Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 school girls in Nigeria. Members of Congress rightly called for action and we acted. But guess what? We’d be stronger still if we had Ambassadors in two neighboring countries, Cameroon and Niger, where some of these victims could be held captive. There have been loud calls on Capitol Hill for action to stop the flow of unaccompanied minors from Central America, as well there should be. We’ve responded forcefully. But guess what? Our hand would be stronger in daily diplomacy if we had an Ambassador in Guatemala, one of the key sources of children sent on this dangerous journey.

I know the Senate can fix this. Just today, our nominees to Qatar and Kuwait, were confirmed. These are vital jobs. But it should not take a crisis to win approval. This is particularly true of the 21 remaining nominees on the floor who are career diplomats. As I proposed earlier this week, they should be expeditiously confirmed as a block, just the way we handle promotions of our military officers. Like our military, they dedicate their lives in service to country. We should treat them that way.

I know we can fix this problem. It’s not hard. We cannot lead if we are not there and we can’t be there if the Senate won’t confirm our best and brightest. This is a moment to show that we speak with one voice on American leadership and that our democratic institutions can still advise and consent instead of defer and delay.

DOJ REPORTS 5 SERVICE MEMBERS DEAD IN POSSIBLE FRIENDLY FIRE INCIDENT

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Possible Friendly Fire Leaves 5 U.S. Service Members Dead

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2014 – Five American troops were killed yesterday during a security operation in southern Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said today.

In a statement, Kirby said investigators are looking into the likelihood that friendly fire was the cause.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these fallen," he added.
The incident occurred during a security operation when the U.S. service members’ unit came into contact with enemy forces, International Security Assistance Force officials said in a statement issued from the command’s headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan.

“Tragically, there is the possibility that fratricide may have been involved,” the statement said. “The incident is under investigation. Our thoughts are with the families of those killed during this difficult time.”

RECENT U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS FROM AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

An Afghan air force Mi-17 aerial gunner prepares for takeoff during a night-vision goggle training mission near Kabul, Afghanistan, March 13, 2014. U.S. airmen assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, NATO Air Training Command Afghanistan participated in an advisory capacity. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson.

An Afghan air force Mi-17 helicopter, flown by an Afghan air force pilot and U.S. Air Force Maj. Frank Cooper, lands during a night-vision goggle training mission near Kabul, Afghanistan, March 13, 2014. Cooper is an Mi-17 advisor assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson.

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.”

AFGHAN LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER CELEBRATED FIRST ANNIVERSARY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
INL Kabul celebrates first anniversary of Gibson Training Center (GTC)

Over the past year, INL planned and hosted 71 trainings, workshops, and graduation ceremonies at the Gibson Training Center (GTC) in Kabul in support of our counternarcotics, corrections, and justice programs. These events trained1517 Afghan professionals, including 280 women. The GTC hosts a variety of INL-funded trainings in partnership with the Corrections System Support Program (CSSP), the Ministry of Counternarcotics (MCN), and the Justice Sector Support Program (JSSP). Each GTC program offers opportunities for practitioners working to combat the narcotics trade and build capacity in the justice system to deepen their knowledge on a range of issues through training and networking opportunities.

In addition, the GTC platform enables senior Afghan officials to meet with their provincial ministry staff and discuss national issues. In most instances, these workshops and trainings were the first opportunity for the provincial staff to meet their senior leadership. The GTC has hosted eight nationwide conferences and eight Minister-level officials. In late May, the General Directorate for Prisons and Detention Centers (GDPDC), in coordination with CSSP, brought together the prison commanders from all 33 Afghan provincial prisons, as well as senior officials from GDPDC, the Ministry of Interior, the Supreme Court, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Ministry of Justice, for a four-day National Prison Commanders Conference. This conference enabled the prison commanders to engage with each other on solutions to the many challenges facing Afghanistan’s corrections system.

A key component of INL’s transition strategy is support for Afghan government-led trainings. In December, the Ministry of Counternarcotics hosted a capacity building training seminar for 160 civil servants from 34 provinces at the GTC. The training focused on the National Drug Control Strategy, the Drug Demand Reduction policy, the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the civil servants’ law, regulation of personal affairs for civil servants, monitoring and evaluation, procurement and finance issues, and intoxicants and drugs control law. GTC’s support enables the MCN to implement a capacity building seminar aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of their civil servants in the provinces, and increasing coordination between the provinces and the headquarters in Kabul.

In just one year, the GTC has grown into a fully functioning facility capable of providing a safe and comfortable learning environment for our Afghan partners. As the GTC looks towards Afghanistan’s transition, INL will continue to support training sponsored by our implementing partners and Embassy sections (including Public Affairs and the national Lincoln Learning Centers’ Conference) at our facilities. The opportunities provided at the GTC have served to build capacity and foster communication with our Afghan partners, empowering them to lead their country to a safe and stable future.

DOD PHOTOS: LEAVING AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
12/26/2013
U.S. Soldiers Prepare To Leave Afghanistan

U.S. Army Master Sgt. Duane Perez, foreground, carries duffel bags and leads troops to a CH-47 Chinook helicopter as they depart Camp Phoenix in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 25, 2013. Perez is assigned to the Guam Army National Guard's Company E, 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment. He also was part of Task Force Guam, which concludes its historic Operation Enduring Freedom mission. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Eddie Siguenz.

U.S. soldiers load equipment and duffel bags onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter on Camp Phoenix in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 25, 2013. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Eddie Siguenza.

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JUNE 11, 2013

 

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Brian Mays participates in a rifle qualification range on Forward Operating Base Farah in Farah province, Afghanistan, June 8, 2013. Mays, a hospital corpsman, is assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Matthew Stroup

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Combined Force Kills Extremists in Nangarhar Province

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, June 11, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed five extremists during a search for a senior Taliban leader in the Khugyani district of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province today, military officials reported.

The sought-after Taliban leader coordinates movement of weapons and fighters through the district and oversees a group responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said.

The security force also destroyed a machine gun and several rocket-propelled grenades in the operation.

In Kandahar province's capital city of Kandahar today, a combined force arrested the ranking Taliban official for the province's Panjwai district. He oversees assassinations, improvised-explosive-device attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces, collects illegal taxes to finance extremist activities, and facilitates the movement of weapons.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA SPENDS TIME WITH TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN

 

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta addresses troops on Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Dec. 12, 2012. Panetta thanked them for their service while also wishing them holiday greetings. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta Arrives in Kabul to Thank Troops, Meet With Commanders
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2012 – After spending time with U.S. troops and officials in Kuwait, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has landed here today to thank troops for their exceptional service, especially during the holidays when it’s harder to be far from family and friends.

This is Panetta’s fifth trip to Afghanistan as defense secretary and his eighth trip to the war-torn nation in the last four years.

"My main goal is to thank the troops," Panetta said, "but beyond that it’s to consult with military commanders, to consult with leadership in Afghanistan, talk to President [Hamid] Karzai and be able to get a better sense of just exactly what’s happening in Afghanistan."

The secretary said the campaign is on a better path than it was four years ago despite real challenges that remain in the region.

"We’ve got a strong campaign plan in place supported by the United States and [the International Security Assistance Force], confirmed by the NATO nations [during the NATO summit this summer in] Chicago," Panetta said, adding that a strategic partnership agreement signed June 1 by President Barack Obama and Karzai "pretty much affirms our enduring presence in Afghanistan in the long run."

Violence levels have trended downward in the last two years after five years of steady increases beginning in 2006, the secretary noted, and the Taliban have been unable to regain territory they’ve lost over the past few years.

"On insider attacks, an area that remains a concern, we have a downward trend, … and populated areas have grown more secure," Panetta said. "In 2012, violence dropped significantly in Kabul, [by] 22 percent, and in Kandahar by almost 62 percent."

The Afghan national security force is becoming more capable, the secretary said. They have reached the 352,000 end-strength goal on schedule and now are in the lead in about 85 percent of the operations. They’re also leading some large-scale operations, he added.

Seventy-five percent of the Afghan population now lives in areas that are undergoing transition to Afghan security, Panetta said, and 100 percent of the population should be in transition by mid-2013.

Progress in other areas includes health care and education, he added.

"Eighty-five percent of the population in Afghanistan now has ready access to health care, compared to 9 percent in 2002," the secretary said. "[And] more than 8 million students are enrolled in schools, compared to 1 million in 2002, and 35 percent of the kids in school are girls."

Significant challenges remain, he said, "involving governance, continuing corruption, the problem with insurgent safe havens in Pakistan, economic challenges and a resilient Taliban that continues to challenge our security in Afghanistan."

On the problem of enemy safe havens in Pakistan, the secretary said, the Pakistani government understands. "I think as a result of recent meetings with Pakistan that we are more encouraged with the fact that they want to take steps to try to limit the terrorist threat within their own country and the threat that goes across the border."

Panetta said his sense is that the Pakistanis are in a better place.

"They understand their responsibility," he added. "They certainly have cooperated with us in a better fashion with regards to opening up the [ground lines of communication between Pakistan and Afghanistan]."

The Pakistanis also have expressed a greater interest in helping with reconciliation of Taliban soldiers into Afghan society, and Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, chief of the Pakistani army, has indicated a willingness to try to put more pressure on the terrorist safe havens, the secretary added.

"As always, actions have to speak louder than words," he said. "But I do believe that they’re in a better place in the sense that they understand the kind of threat that they should deal with."

As security improves and the Afghan national security force steps into the lead, "the opportunity to focus on these challenges and hopefully strengthen governance and the rule of law and the Afghan economy is a goal we’re after," Panetta said.

The secretary said he looks forward to getting a firsthand view of Afghanistan’s status by speaking with ISAF Commander Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen and other commanders, and with the Afghan leadership.

"This will help me as we set the groundwork for the decisions that have to be made by President Obama with regard to the enduring presence [in Afghanistan]," Panetta added.

The secretary said he and others will present options to Obama for the nature of the enduring presence in Afghanistan, , "and hopefully he’ll make a decision within these next few weeks."

Afterward, Panetta added, the president’s decision will allow Allen to figure out what the drawdown in Afghanistan ought to be and over what period of time.

AFGHAN FORCES CONTAIN TALIBAN ATTACK

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Afghan Forces Contain Taliban Attack in Kabul
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, May 2, 2012 - Afghan security forces led a capable and quick response in containing a Taliban attack in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul today, military officials reported.

All of the attackers were killed, officials said. According to initial International Security Assistance Force reporting, a small group of insurgents attacked a private compound. The attack was unsuccessful in killing any ISAF personnel, but it resulted in Afghan civilian casualties, including children.

"This is another desperate attack by the Taliban, but again another noteworthy performance by Afghan security forces for taking the lead in putting down another desperate attack by insurgents," said German army Brig. Gen. Carsten Jacobson, ISAF spokesman. The insurgents' attack "resulted in the deaths of innocent Afghan civilians, with most of that being children from a nearby school," Jacobson added.
In operations around Afghanistan today:

-- An Afghan-led, coalition-supported force killed an insurgent, detained several suspects and seized assault rifles, magazines with ammunition, and multiple grenades and rocket-propelled grenades during a mission to capture a Taliban leader in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Baghlan province.

-- A combined force detained a Taliban leader as well as multiple insurgents and confiscated bomb-making materials in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province. The insurgent leader directed roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force detained several suspects while searching for a Taliban leader in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province. The leader plans and coordinates roadside bombings, suicide attacks and other operations against Afghan and coalition forces. He also attempts to impose Taliban law on Afghan civilians in the Musa Qalah, Now Zad and Baghran districts.

-- A combined force captured a Taliban leader and another suspect in the Gelan district of Ghazni province. The insurgent leader conducted roadside-bomb attacks against Afghan civilians, Afghan security forces and coalition troops along Highway 1.

-- A combined force detained multiple suspects and seized a manual for constructing improvised explosive devices during an operation to capture a Haqqani network facilitator in the Muhammad Aghah district of Logar province. The facilitator provides weapons, ammunition and equipment to insurgents for attacks against Afghan officials, Afghan troops, and coalition forces in Kabul City.

-- A combined force detained multiple suspects and seized several weapons and a grenade during an operation to capture a Haqqani facilitator in the Sabari district of Khost province. The facilitator provides weapons, ammunition and IEDs to insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
Yesterday, a combined force found and destroyed about 2,035 pounds of homemade explosive materials and multiple IED-making components in the Ab Band district of Ghazni province.

NATO SECRETARY GENERAL RASMUSSEN BELIEVES IN SUPPORTING AFGHANISTAN BEYOND 2014 PULL-OUT

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

NATO Conference Focuses on Post-2014 Afghanistan

By Karen Parrish

BRUSSELS, April 18, 2012 - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen today emphasized support to Afghanistan beyond 2014 in remarks opening a conference of the alliance's defense and foreign ministers here.

Rasmussen noted the NATO summit in Chicago is a month away. "We have important work to do today and tomorrow to help set the stage," he said.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force has been engaged in Afghanistan since 2001, and Rasmussen said the alliance will continue to support that nation beyond 2014.

Meetings of NATO defense and foreign ministers today and tomorrow will shape the decisions on Afghanistan that the alliance's heads of state and government will make in Chicago, Rasmussen said, including completing the transition to Afghan security lead by the end of 2014 and what form NATO's contributions in Afghanistan will take after that transfer.

Rasmussen noted Afghan security forces defeated coordinated enemy attacks April 15 in and around Afghanistan's capital of Kabul.

"This shows that the Afghan security forces can deal with dangers and difficulties, and they are getting stronger every day," the secretary general said.

He said his clear message to Afghanistan's enemies is that they can't just wait NATO out. "As we gradually draw down," he added, "a still stronger Afghan security force is taking charge to protect the Afghan people against brutality and inhumanity."

NATO will maintain a training mission and financial support to Afghan security forces beyond 2014, Rasmussen said. "We must make sure we maintain the gains made with so much investment in lives and resources," he added.

Even in tough financial times, the secretary general said, supporting the Afghan forces is "a good deal in financial and political terms."

NATO remains committed to its strategy and its long-term partnership with Afghanistan, Rasmussen said.

"This is our message to the people of Afghanistan, to the enemies of Afghanistan, and to the neighbors of Afghanistan," he said, "because it is in the interest of our own security."

Before a morning meeting of defense ministers this morning, Rasmussen said their discussion would center on alliance "smart defense" efforts to acquire capabilities jointly that the alliance will need to counter future threats. Smart defense, he said, "means setting the right priorities. We must specialize in what we do best and focus resources on what we need most. And we must work together to deliver capabilities that many nations cannot afford on [their] own."

At the Chicago summit next month, Rasmussen said, NATO will demonstrate its commitment "to continue to invest political, military and economic capital in a transatlantic alliance that is fully fit to deal with the security challenges of today and tomorrow."

In a news conference following the morning session, he announced ministers have prepared an interim missile defense plan for Europe, with details to be announced in Chicago.

NATO defense ministers also discussed a "connected forces" initiative to be finalized at the Chicago summit, he added. This agreement will strengthen member nations' coordinated education, training and technology efforts, the secretary general said.

Financial support to Afghan forces after 2014 is expected to cost $4 billion per year, Rasmussen added, though details of NATO nations' contributions to that total have not been finalized.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton are both here for the NATO meetings, and are scheduled to hold a joint news conference later today.

TRAVELS WITH LEON: SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA OUTLINES CENTRAL ASIAN TRIP

The photo and following excerpt are from a U.S. Department of Defense American Forces Press Service e-mail:

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta speaks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai after talks in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 15, 2012.  DOD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2012 - As has been his custom for all of his foreign travels, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today provided a personal account of his trip last week to Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Here is the secretary's report:
I've recently returned from my seventh international trip, and my third trip to Afghanistan as Secretary of Defense. As I always do upon returning from international travel, I wanted to share some observations and reflections on the trip directly with you, the men and women of the Department of Defense.

My first stop was Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, which is also host to the International Transit Center at Manas. The visit to Bishkek gave me the chance to meet with Kyrgyz leaders for the first time, and my goal was to affirm our relationship and thank them for their support of the Manas Transit Center. That transit center is critical to sustaining our efforts in Afghanistan, and provides us with the ability to move personnel in and out of the war zone, to execute aerial refueling sorties, and to transport air cargo in and out of theater.

Kyrgyzstan and its Central Asian neighbors serve as key links in the logistical supply lines into Afghanistan known as the Northern Distribution Network, which has proven extremely important in recent months. For me the visit underscored that the United States shares a number of important interests with our Central Asian partners, chief among them a secure and stable Afghanistan so that the broader region can be peaceful and benefit from expanded trade and development.

We had dinner at a local restaurant and stayed at a hotel in downtown Bishkek. The next morning, I was able to greet American troops at the Transit Center who were waiting for flights home or into Afghanistan. As I met with each of them individually, I was on the lookout for anyone bound for California and managed to greet a few from my home state. I was energized to meet doctors and nurses who had volunteered for service at the war front. I thanked all of the men and women I met for their dedication and sacrifice to their missions. Each received Secretary of Defense coins in recognition of their excellence while serving our nation in uniform.

I departed Kyrgyzstan from Manas in a C-17, traveling onward to Southwest Afghanistan, where I landed at Camp Bastion Airfield in Helmand Province. My trip to Afghanistan took place against the backdrop of a series of challenges that have tested our relationship with our Afghan partners as well as our resolve to focus on achieving the mission there. An unfortunate incident at the airfield as I landed only served to heighten tensions but as I told the press, this is a war zone and it is important to keep our eye on the mission.
We are making strong progress in our military campaign by reducing violence and continuing a process of transitioning security responsibility to Afghan lead. Enemy-initiated attacks in Afghanistan in early 2012 are down about 24 percent compared to last year, and half of the Afghan population now lives in areas that are transitioning to Afghan-led security control.

My basic message to U.S. and coalition troops and to our Afghan partners was that we all needed to stay focused on our fundamental mission to ensure not only that we defeat al-Qaida and their militant allies, but that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists to conduct attacks on the United States or our allies. To do that we must support efforts that will enable Afghanistan to secure and govern itself.
After a short ride over to adjoining Camp Leatherneck, I was honored to meet with several Afghan provincial government leaders, including the Governor of Helmand, as well as commanders from the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. I told Governor Mangal that on my way from the United States to Afghanistan I had been reading more about the rich history of Afghanistan. I said that I appreciated how in many ways the history of Afghanistan is the story of leaders seeking peace and stability in the face of conflict.

At the same meeting I also heard from Major General Malouk who commands the Afghan National Army 215th Corps in Helmand province. He told me his men know how to fight and are willing to take risks against the enemy, but that they also continue to need help from the international community as they mature into a professional force. I assured him that the U.S. is committed to assisting him and his units as we work together toward transitioning security responsibility to them. I came away from this discussion encouraged that Afghan forces are truly taking charge of operations and leading them in this part of the country, and that Afghanistan has brave leaders who are determined to build a better future for their country.

After meeting with these local Afghan officials and military commanders, I had the opportunity to address U.S. Marines, and other ISAF and Afghan troops. I emphasized my message to focus on the mission even in the face of challenges. As these troops know well, we have been tested, time and time again, over a decade of war. That's the nature of war: to confront every obstacle, to face every barrier, to fight through every challenge in order to accomplish a mission. It is important that all of us -- the United States, Afghanistan, the ISAF forces -- all stick to the strategy that we've laid out.
It was an honor to meet with this motivated group of Marines, Afghan, and international troops, for it's their dedication that offers the chance at a better life for us and our children, and for the Afghan people and their children as well.
We then boarded an MV-22 Osprey and flew from Camp Leatherneck to Forward Operating Base Shukvani, the remote and dusty operating location for the Georgian 31st Battalion and their U.S. Marine Corps partners.

At FOB Shukvani, I thanked the Georgian troops for their important contributions to the campaign, and read them a letter from their former commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Alex Tugushi, who was grievously injured during operations in December 2011. In the letter Lt. Col. Tugushi called the troops "Georgian heroes" and said it was a great honor for Georgian troops to partner with American and international troops in Afghanistan. I told the Georgian troops that Lt. Col. Tugushi's letter reflected my feelings exactly: the U.S. is privileged to stand together with Georgia.

That afternoon, we flew to Kabul for meetings that night with my friends and colleagues Minister of Defense Wardak and Minister of Interior Mohammadi. The focus of our discussion was on the progress being made by the Afghan National Security Forces. Minister Wardak hosted me at the ministry for a traditional Afghan meal, and I was grateful for his hospitality. Both of my meetings with the ministers went very well, reaffirming our shared commitment to the mission, progress in achieving greater security in Afghanistan, and the continued development of Afghan security forces.

The following morning I met with President Karzai at his palace. President Karzai and I have met several times over the years, and I told him that we seem to get tested almost every other day by incidents that challenge our leadership and our commitment to our shared goals. I know that tragedies like the incident in Kandahar weigh heavily on President Karzai's heart and create problems for him as the leader and the protector of the Afghan people. They weigh heavily on all of us. That's why I told him that we are sparing no effort to hold those responsible accountable and to make sure this does not happen again.

Still, our discussion largely focused on the future as the United States and Afghanistan seek to build an enduring partnership. We have made significant progress on reaching this kind of agreement, and were recently able to sign an MOU with Afghanistan that establishes a way forward to transferring detention operations to Afghanistan. In spite of recent challenges, I am confident that we will reach an agreement with President Karzai on a strategic partnership.

After finishing this meeting and heading to the Kabul Airport, I reflected on the fact that in past trips to Afghanistan, whether as CIA Director or Secretary of Defense, I was invariably concerned about the differences with regards to the strategy ahead and how to try to get better agreement on how we would proceed in the future.

In this trip, everyone I talked to absolutely agreed with the strategy that NATO nations and the Afghan government have laid out: to support an Afghan-led transition process leading to Afghan responsibility for security across the country by the end of 2014. As the Afghans increasingly take on leadership through the transition process, we expect ISAF to shift naturally in 2013 from a primarily combat to a primarily support role, while remaining fully combat capable. At the same time, we will continue to talk about the kind of post-2014 presence we need to maintain. Everybody is absolutely committed to this strategy.
There is no doubt that the Afghan people are tired of war. They've suffered through years of conflict, and they're hoping for peace and the opportunity to raise their families so that hopefully their children will have a better life. The American people share some of that tiredness after 10 years of war as well, and all of that's understandable.

But I think the American people also understand that we came here with a mission to accomplish. The mission was to make sure that those that attacked our country on 9/11 will never be able to use Afghanistan as a base to do that again and that Afghanistan needs to be able to govern and secure itself. That's our mission, that's our goal, and we have never been closer to accomplishing that.

From Afghanistan I continued on to the United Arab Emirates, which is a very important partner in the Middle East. The U.S. continues to work closely with our Emirati partners, including the missions in Libya and working with the international community on Syria, as well. I had good discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed about regional issues and also the importance of our relationship with the UAE, particularly at this point in time.

As I headed home from this trip, I reflected on the fact that our troops are heroes and patriots, and that we can never forget your sacrifices. Those of you in uniform are doing the job of trying to protect this country, and doing it magnificently with courage and with dedication. Your skill and mission focus have always been the key to our ability to overcome any challenge -- and that enables all of us to pursue that fundamental American dream of giving our children a better life.