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What Are We Fighting For? ISAF Commander Re-Explains What 'Winning' Means in Afghanistan
[CNSNews] Twelve years after the war began, General Joseph Dunford, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), says the American people "need to know exactly what we're trying to do" in Afghanistan.He indicated that winning the war is no longer about defeating al Qaeda. Although U.S.-led forces have "put extraordinary pressure on al-Qaeda and its associated networks in Afghanistan" and "disrupted al-Qaeda's ability to plan and conduct operations from within the country, Dunford said "al-Qaeda in the region remains resilient and determined to attack the West." Dunford indicated that winning the war involves nation-building. "I have a hard time standing in front of Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen that are in harm's way and talking about anything other than winning," Dunford said later in the speech. "And I want to make it clear that winning for us means setting the conditions for the Afghans to exploit the decade of opportunity that will come in 2015 and beyond." Dunford talked about developing the capabilities of Afghan forces so they can support "credible and transparent elections" in Afghanistan. He also spoke about Afghan forces being able to "harden" Afghanistan -- "so that it can facilitate, you know, economic development and political processes that, quite admittedly, will take many years after 2015."
Posted by: trailing wife 2013-08-13 |
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