U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday that the U.S.-led
coalition is winning the war in Afghanistan as foreign troops continue to
transfer security of the country to Afghan forces ahead of a 2014
deadline.
Panetta told U.S. troops stationed in the eastern Afghan province of
Paktika that they face significant challenges in the "very tough
conflict." But he promised to establish a safe, self-governing country
where the Taliban and al-Qaida cannot find refuge.The defense secretary
is on a two-day visit to Afghanistan to check on the progress of U.S.-led
counterinsurgency efforts, which he says reached a "turning point" this
year after a decade of fighting the Taliban.Panetta is expected to meet
later Wednesday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.Secretary Panetta has
been meeting with U.S. military commanders and Afghan officials to
discuss the ongoing transfer of security to Afghan forces. U.S. President
Barack Obama announced earlier this year that 33,000 American troops
would withdraw from the country by next October. All international combat
troops are set to leave the country by 2014.The second stage of security
transition officially started last month, with Afghan forces set to take
charge of six provinces, seven provincial capitals and more than 40
districts. The first stage of the transition began earlier this year.The
transition process has been complicated by worsening U.S. relations with
Pakistan, after a NATO air strike last month killed 24 Pakistani soldiers
along the country's border with Afghanistan. Pakistani officials have
closed two supply lines into Afghanistan and forced U.S. troops out of a
Pakistani airbase following the incident.The top allied commander in
Afghanistan, General John Allen, said Tuesday he was making efforts at
resolving the issue during his recent talks with Pakistani officials.
Panetta again said on Tuesday that the U.S. believes healthy U.S.-
Pakistan relations are vital for ending the conflict in Afghanistan.In
the latest violence, Afghan officials say a local government official was
killed after his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the restive southern
province of Helmand.U.S. officials reported in October that the number of
Taliban attacks in Afghanistan decreased for the first time in five
years. However, the United Nations said earlier this year the number of
civilians killed went up by 15 percent in the first half of 2011, with
nearly 1,500 deaths due mostly to insurgent attacks. Some information for
this report was provided by AFP.
Related Articles -
Email this Article to a Friend!
Receive Articles like this one direct to your email box!Subscribe for
free today!