thedrifter
06-05-07, 07:26 PM
Afghanistan needs more support, general says
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 5, 2007 17:44:10 EDT
While some Afghanistan districts remain “problematic,” all 34 of its provinces are under Afghan, U.S. or NATO control, the U.S. general who heads the NATO security effort there said today.
That said, the situation in Afghanistan cannot continue to improve without a stronger international commitment of troops and money, a stronger national police force, destruction of the country’s vast opium poppy fields and a unified reconstruction effort, said Army Gen. Dan McNeill, commander of the 36,000-strong International Security Assistance Force.
And as U.S. leaders have recently noted regarding neighboring Iraq, friendly foreign troops likely will be needed in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, McNeill told Pentagon reporters via a televised satellite link.
“I believe that international commitment here will have to continue for some time … it’s not only about building the Ministry of Defense,” he said, referring to efforts to help build up Afghanistan’s army.
The Ministry of Interior, which controls the national police, also needs help and is “several years behind” the Defense Ministry, he said. And in countries with a counterinsurgency doctrine, he said, the indigenous police force is the force of choice.
A separate 12,000-member U.S. Operation Enduring Freedom force continues counterterrorist work in Afghanistan, but the NATO force also sometimes conducts offensive operations against the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban in support of security operations.
McNeill said he’s heard estimates of Taliban strength that range from 5,000 to as high as 20,000, but said, “I’m not sure that I agree with either the low side or the high side.”
But, he added, “I think there’s ample evidence that they continue to grow, maybe in sanctuaries outside of Afghanistan.”
McNeill said he didn’t know how much of the Taliban’s operations are funded by sales of opium poppies, which are flourishing during what McNeill described as Afghanistan’s best year of rainfall and snowmelt in the past 50 years. “I’m just convinced there is a relationship,” he said.
“Of this I’m certain — you cannot take on the problems that this country has without taking on the problem of poppy growth,” he added.
Eradicating the poppy fields, however, does not fall under ISAF’s charter, he said. “We’re not trained, we’re not equipped, we don’t have the requisite number of helicopters, and we’re not manned to do it,” McNeill said.
The counternarcotics effort is led by the Afghan security forces, with heavy U.S. financial support.
Ellie
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 5, 2007 17:44:10 EDT
While some Afghanistan districts remain “problematic,” all 34 of its provinces are under Afghan, U.S. or NATO control, the U.S. general who heads the NATO security effort there said today.
That said, the situation in Afghanistan cannot continue to improve without a stronger international commitment of troops and money, a stronger national police force, destruction of the country’s vast opium poppy fields and a unified reconstruction effort, said Army Gen. Dan McNeill, commander of the 36,000-strong International Security Assistance Force.
And as U.S. leaders have recently noted regarding neighboring Iraq, friendly foreign troops likely will be needed in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, McNeill told Pentagon reporters via a televised satellite link.
“I believe that international commitment here will have to continue for some time … it’s not only about building the Ministry of Defense,” he said, referring to efforts to help build up Afghanistan’s army.
The Ministry of Interior, which controls the national police, also needs help and is “several years behind” the Defense Ministry, he said. And in countries with a counterinsurgency doctrine, he said, the indigenous police force is the force of choice.
A separate 12,000-member U.S. Operation Enduring Freedom force continues counterterrorist work in Afghanistan, but the NATO force also sometimes conducts offensive operations against the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban in support of security operations.
McNeill said he’s heard estimates of Taliban strength that range from 5,000 to as high as 20,000, but said, “I’m not sure that I agree with either the low side or the high side.”
But, he added, “I think there’s ample evidence that they continue to grow, maybe in sanctuaries outside of Afghanistan.”
McNeill said he didn’t know how much of the Taliban’s operations are funded by sales of opium poppies, which are flourishing during what McNeill described as Afghanistan’s best year of rainfall and snowmelt in the past 50 years. “I’m just convinced there is a relationship,” he said.
“Of this I’m certain — you cannot take on the problems that this country has without taking on the problem of poppy growth,” he added.
Eradicating the poppy fields, however, does not fall under ISAF’s charter, he said. “We’re not trained, we’re not equipped, we don’t have the requisite number of helicopters, and we’re not manned to do it,” McNeill said.
The counternarcotics effort is led by the Afghan security forces, with heavy U.S. financial support.
Ellie