Petraeus Calls Afghanistan a Test of Wills
(July 2, 2010) |
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| WASHINGTON, June 29, 2010 – Afghanistan is a test of wills,
and the enemy has to know the United States and its allies
have the will to prevail, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said
before the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
The testimony was part of the confirmation process for
Petraeus, President Barack Obama's nominee to replace Army
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal as commander of U.S. forces in
Afghanistan.
The general also has been nominated to succeed McChrystal as
commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force,
a position that requires a separate confirmation process
through NATO channels. Petraeus currently is commander of
U.S. Central Command.
The United States has vital national interests in
Afghanistan, Petraeus told the panel, noting that Obama has
said the United States will not tolerate a safe haven for
terrorists who want to destroy Afghan security from within
and launch attacks against innocent men, women and children
around the world.
“In short, we cannot allow al-Qaida or other transnational
extremist elements to once again establish sanctuaries from
which they can launch attacks on our homeland or on our
allies,” the general said. “Achieving that objective,
however, requires that we not only counter the resurgent
Taliban elements who allowed such sanctuaries in the past.
We must also help our Afghan partners develop their security
forces and governance capacity so that they can, over time,
take on the tasks of securing their country and seeing to
the needs of their people.”
If confirmed, Petraeus will command almost 100,000 U.S.
troops in Afghanistan and more than 50,000 servicemembers
from 45 other nations.
The general said he will work closely with civilian agencies
to implement a whole-of-government approach to the situation
on the ground, as the campaign strategy in Afghanistan calls
for a fully integrated civil-military effort. Further, he
added, the plan calls for international cooperation and
crucial contributions from the Afghan government and Afghan
national security forces.
As Centcom commander, Petraeus participated in forming the
president's strategy in Afghanistan.
“I support and agree with his new policy,” the general said.
“During its development, I offered my forthright military
advice, and I have assured the president that I will do the
same as we conduct assessments over the course of the months
ahead. He, in turn, assured me that he expects and wants me
to provide that character of advice.”
The general said he supports the need to inspire greater
urgency on the Afghan government's part, noting the policy's
intent to begin transitioning security responsibilities to
Afghan national security forces in July 2011.
“It is important to note the president's reminder in recent
days that July 2011 will mark the beginning of a process,
not the date when the U.S. heads for the exits and turns out
the lights,” Petraeus said. “As he explained this past
Sunday in fact, we'll need to provide assistance to
Afghanistan for a long time to come.”
The general said notable progress has taken place in
Afghanistan already. The number of civilian deaths due to
coalition military operations has dropped, and areas in
Helmand province have been freed from the Taliban. He
acknowledged that more remains to be done to secure the
progress.
A basic tenet of the counterinsurgency strategy is to secure
the population. “Focusing on securing the people does not,
however, mean that we don't go after the enemy,” Petraeus
said. “In fact, protecting the population inevitably
requires killing, capturing or turning the insurgents. Our
forces have been doing that, and we will continue to do
that. In fact, our troopers and our Afghan partners have
been very much taking the fight to the enemy in recent
months.”
The Taliban and their terrorist allies have paid a grave
price since April, with more than 130 middle- and
senior-level operatives being captured or killed, and
thousands of rank-and-file members taken off the
battlefield.
The general noted that those gains have come at a cost for
U.S. and allied forces. “I want to assure the mothers and
fathers of those fighting in Afghanistan that I see it as a
moral imperative to bring all assets to bear to protect our
men and women in uniform and the Afghan security forces with
whom ISAF troopers are fighting shoulder to shoulder,” he
said. “Those on the ground must have all the support they
need when they are in a tough situation.”
This is so important, he added, that he has discussed it
with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Afghan Defense Minister
Abdul Wardak, and Afghan Interior Minister Bismullah Khan.
“And they are in full agreement with me on this,” Petraeus
told the senators.
The general said he is “keenly aware of concerns”
servicemembers have raised about the application of rules of
engagement and a tactical directive designed to minimize the
possibility of inflicting civilian casualties. “They should
know that I will look very hard at this issue,” he said.
Developing the Afghan security forces so they can take
responsibility for their country and produce sustained
success is “hugely important and hugely challenging,”
Petraeus said.
“Indeed, helping to train and equip host-nation forces in
the midst of an insurgency is akin to building an advanced
aircraft while it is in flight, while it is being designed,
and while it is being shot at,” he said. “There is nothing
easy about it.” Progress in that regard has picked up since
the training effort in the country has been overhauled, he
added, but more must be done for the trend to continue.
“Further progress will take even greater partnering,
additional training improvements, fuller manning of the
training and mentoring missions, and expanded professional
education opportunities,” he said, “and initiatives are
being pursued in each of these areas.”
Petraeus said tough fighting will continue in Afghanistan,
noting that June has seen many NATO casualties.
“Indeed, it may get more intense in the next few months,” he
said. “As we take away the enemy's safe havens and reduce
the enemy's freedom of action, the insurgents will fight
back.”
The general praised the commitment of American troops in the
country.
“I'd like to once again note the extraordinary work being
done by our troopers on the ground in Afghanistan, Iraq, and
elsewhere around the world,” he said. “Our young men and
women truly deserve the recognition they have earned as
America's new greatest generation. There is no question that
they comprise the finest, most combat-hardened military in
our nation's history. | |
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2010
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