U.S. General Highlights Progress, Challenges in Afghanistan

Security situation remains uneven, complex, particularly in southern provinces

The U.S.-led coalition has made great progress in helping the people of Afghanistan take back their country from the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies, but significant security challenges remain, says U.S. General Karl Eikenberry, commander of Combined Force Afghanistan.

"We are winning, but the war is not yet won," Eikenberry told journalists in a May 10 press briefing at the Pentagon.

He said that the overall security situation in the country remains uneven and complex. While much of the country is fairly stable, several southwestern districts continue to see a rise in attacks by foreign fighters and the remnants of the Taliban, as well as local intertribal conflicts and drug trafficking-related criminal activities. (See related article.)

Eikenberry identified four major transitions whose success will go a long way in shaping Afghanistan's future.

The first is the transition of security responsibility to NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which will expand its operational control into Afghanistan's southern provinces this summer, effectively taking control of coalition operations. (See related article.)

Eikenberry said that the United States, as a member of NATO, would continue to be the single largest contributor to ISAF and would focus mainly on counterterrorist efforts to root out and eliminate Taliban and al-Qaida remnants. U.S. forces also will continue playing a leading role in training Afghan army and police forces, as well as supporting community reconstruction initiatives, he added.

Second is a transition from coalition-led combat operations to an increasingly international focus on economic reconstruction and rebuilding civil society.

"In essence, these efforts aim to rebuild Afghanistan's middle ground - that is, the civil society of Afghanistan, ravaged by three decades of warfare and terrorism," he said. "Throughout Afghanistan's 34 provinces, rebuilding the middle ground remains the primary concern of the Afghan people."

Eikenberry cited a recent poll, which found 80 percent of Afghans considered economic reconstruction more important than security, and said that efforts to rebuild Afghanistan's civil society greatly would assist in stabilizing the country and discouraging terrorists from seeking safe haven there. (See related article.)

Third, Eikenberry identified the eventual transition of full security operations to the Afghan army and police as another major challenge.

He said that the Afghan national army is growing gradually in size and operational effectiveness in partnering with allied forces, but will need more time before it can operate independently. Administrative reform of the police forces, high on the agenda for the Afghan government, will be needed to improve their effectiveness.

"The growth and size of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police is one of the most visible and important aspects of this transition," he said.

Finally, Eikenberry said that Afghanistan's long-term security would depend on building an integrated strategy against terrorism in partnership with the international community.

In this regard, the general said that the coalition forces and NATO ISAF are working to build cooperation between security forces in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan to exchange counterterrorism intelligence and coordinate joint operations. (See related article.)

"[T]here is much work ahead, and the international community must remain patient and maintain uncompromising commitment to Afghanistan's success if we are to prevail," he said.

Source: U.S. Department of State

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