Posted on 10/19/2007 4:21:48 PM PDT by SandRat
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2007 The number of internationally supplied trainers for Afghanistans soldiers and police is slated to quadruple, as the number and capabilities of those security forces continues to grow, a senior U.S. military officer told Pentagon reporters here yesterday.
Boosting the number of qualified instructors that train Afghanistans soldiers and police is among that countrys key security-related needs, Cone said. Several nations provide personnel for the training teams, he said, noting that each team has about 16 people. My charter, with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the Afghan army, is to build a quality force that is capable of defending Afghanistan, said Cone, who has held his current command for about four months. Afghan Minister of Defense Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak accompanied Cone at the news conference. The two leaders are in Washington to confer with senior U.S. government officials. The Afghan National Army has about 50,000 soldiers, Cone said. That force, he added, is slated to increase to 70,000 troops by the end of 2008. Training emphasis will now be shifted from individual instruction to the training of larger units like battalions and brigades, he said. Cone is bullish about the progress of the Afghan National Army. Afghan soldiers, he pointed out, are performing well in combat, fighting side-by-side with coalition forces. They are taking the lead in many combat operations, Cone said of Afghan military troops. Wardak echoed Cones compliments, noting Afghanistans soldiers are doing a great job and are well-received by the citizenry. The Afghan National Army has been one of the success stories of the last few years, Wardak said. The ANA continues to develop and grow in confidence and professionalism. Afghanistans soldiers are members of a tested and proven fighting force, Wardak said. Afghanistans army does require updated weapons and other material, the minister acknowledged, as well as fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft to transport troops. Imagine what we could do with better equipment and additional help, Wardak said. The Afghan National Army has achieved great success, Cone agreed, noting efforts are under way to improve the countrys police. And now, we are applying greater emphasis towards achieving the same success with the Afghan National Police, Cone reported. To date, more than 70,000 policemen are serving the citizens of Afghanistan. Establishing a professional Afghan police force is essential to establishing security, Cone said, noting the police are the critical interface at the district and community level. U.S. and coalition officials are supporting Afghan-government initiatives designed to increase efficiency and promote ethical conduct among the countrys police, Cone said. These efforts, he noted, involve performance and conduct reviews, as well as improved training and pay for good police officers. Cone told reporters that terrorists in Afghanistan have been soundly thrashed each time theyve confronted coalition or Afghan troops in battles. The terrorists increased use of suicide bombings in Afghanistan is likely an act of desperation, he said, due to their failures in conventional fighting. Wardak agreed with Cone, noting suicide attacks in Afghanistan have doubled since last year. About 80 percent of suicide attacks are committed by foreigners, the minister pointed out. Afghans are turning their backs on terrorists of all stripes, he said, whether theyre Taliban or foreigners. The Afghan minister also told reporters his government is now studying reports that indicate Iran may be supplying materials used to make powerful bombs employed by extremists in Afghanistan. Iranian government officials have denied any involvement, he noted. Meanwhile, insurgents are determined, Wardak said, and are now employing small-unit tactics dispersed over larger areas, along with improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers, in renewed efforts to destabilize the government. Yet, Wardak is confident that Afghan, U.S. and coalition security forces will deliver victory to the Afghan people. In the not-too-distant future, Afghans will be able to increasingly carry a greater share of the burden in the fight against the terrorists, Wardak predicted, given anticipated increases in training, equipment and support. |
Biographies: Maj. Gen. Robert W. Cone, USA Related Sites: |
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