KABUL, Afghanistan, March 15, 2012 \u2013 His sixth trip to Afghanistan, more so than some others, made him feel there\u2019s a \u201cvery good chance of succeeding\u201d in the mission and the long war here, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.<\/p>\n
The secretary and Army Lt. Gen. Curtis M. \u201cMike\u201d Scaparrotti, commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, spoke to Afghan and U.S. reporters here before Panetta left Afghanistan for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for the last stop on his five-day tour to Central Asia and the Middle East.<\/p>\n
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In previous visits, Panetta said, he was concerned about differences in strategy among military leaders, civilian governors and coalition and Afghan troops. This time, he said, everyone \u201cabsolutely agrees\u201d with the strategy planned through 2014.<\/p>\n
The secretary said over two days in Afghanistan he has met with provincial and national Afghan leaders, coalition and Afghan troops, and commanders and civil authorities in Helmand province and here in the Afghan capital.<\/p>\n
All of those groups, and the Afghan people, have been tested by recent weeks\u2019 events from the Quran burning to the murders of Afghan villagers and coalition troops, Panetta acknowledged. But he said he learned during this visit\u2019s meetings that \u201cwe were also very unified in our focus on achieving the mission\u201d of ensuring Afghanistan never again becomes a terrorist safe haven.<\/p>\n
That mission will only be achieved when Afghanistan can secure and govern itself, and everyone he spoke with on this visit shares that view, Panetta said.<\/p>\n
In a statement following his meeting with Panetta today, Afghan President Hamid Karzai made reference to withdrawing international troops from Afghan towns and villages. A senior defense official traveling with Panetta, who also attended the meeting with Karzai, said the topic had come up and that both men agreed to work together and continue close consultation on such topics as the transition to Afghan security lead continues.<\/p>\n
The official said he has attended many such meetings with Karzai, and today\u2019s session was \u201cvery, very positive.\u201d Karzai is understandably eager to assume full sovereignty in his country, the official said, and that is what the United States and other coalition partners want as well.<\/p>\n
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little, who also attended the meeting, said the Afghans did not ask for any change in the transition timeline agreed to at the November 2010 NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe secretary has seen President Karzai’s statement,\u201d Little said. \u201cHe believes it reflects President Karzai’s strong interest in moving as quickly as possible to a fully independent and sovereign Afghanistan. The secretary also believes that we have made good progress thus far in both security gains and transition, and that it is important for us to remain focused on those efforts in the months ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Panetta said his visit \u201creally convinced\u201d him coalition leaders and the Afghan government are responding positively to recent challenges. He added that he commended Karzai, Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak and Interior Minister Gen. Bismillah Khan Mohammadi on the order and control they maintained in the face of those challenges. That kind of leadership, he said, is \u201cso important to the future security of this country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Panetta said as security transition continues through 2012 and International Security Assistance Force troops first step back from a combat role and then largely draw down from Afghanistan in 2014, planning what happens up to and after that milestone is increasingly important.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the discussions I just completed with President Karzai and \u2026 other leaders, we really did focus on strategy for the future\u201d and what needs to happen up to the end of 2014 and beyond, the secretary said.<\/p>\n
Both sides agree on the need for ongoing partnership between the United States and Afghanistan, Panetta said.<\/p>\n
That will require a certain amount of U.S. military support well beyond 2014, he noted: in counterterrorism, in advising and assisting Afghan forces, and in helping the Afghan security forces maintain their operational skills.<\/p>\n
The number, placement and tasks those troops will undertake depends on the strategic partnership agreement the two countries are now discussing, the secretary said. In talks with Karzai, he added, both agreed they would like to see that agreement drafted before May\u2019s NATO summit in Chicago.<\/p>\n
All leaders he spoke with on this visit agreed that levels of violence are down and Afghan army and police are very involved in operations across their nation, Panetta said. The growing strength and capability of Afghan security forces in working effectively and professionally to defend and protect their people is absolutely essential to Afghanistan\u2019s ultimate self-governance, he added.<\/p>\n
The war and the challenges will continue in Afghanistan over the coming months, as the spring and summer \u201cfighting season\u201d once again takes hold, the secretary noted. The key, he said, is \u201chow we respond, and how we [can] confront those challenges \u2026 and maintain forward progress.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cAfghanistan needs to be able to govern and secure itself,\u201d Panetta said. \u201cWe are very close to accomplishing that, but the key right now is to stay on that mission \u2026 [and] not allow our frustrations and concerns to undermine the principal goal we\u2019re here to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n
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