Surprise visit to Afghanistan, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates put pressure on anti-corruption issues
international online news (Sun's clever): U.S. military in Iraq was just attending the handover ceremony of the task, the U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has arrived in another piece, 2 battlefield in Afghanistan, with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, top NATO troops in Afghanistan Commander Petraeus talks and visits U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Details immediately connect Sun International South Asia correspondent, clever line. Sun clever, Gates surprise visit to Afghanistan, the main task and purpose, is to pacify, or inspire morale?
Reporter: so, on August 31st, Barack Obama delivered a nationally televised speech in Washington, said the end of the combat mission in Iraq, the United States will battle the military resources into Afghanistan, from Iraq U.S. forces launch offensive in Afghanistan. So, I think, Gates visit Afghanistan's main task is coordinated with the Afghan government's position, in counter-terrorism, anti-corruption and issues such as withdrawal reiterated the attitude of the United States to continue to pressure the Afghan government. For example, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pledged to support the U.S. anti-corruption investigations. However, NATO's top commander in Afghanistan, troops Petraeus acknowledged that the issue of corruption, the United States and the friction between the Afghan government. Recently, banks in Kabul, Afghanistan crisis, Afghanistan, Kabul, the central bank has lifted duties Bank Chairman and CEO, the fear of bank failures have required a large number of depositors withdrew from the bank. The Kabul bank's largest shareholder is the brother of President Hamid Karzai. Therefore, Gates will continue his visit to Afghanistan in combating the issue of pressure on the government. Moderator!
Moderator: So, in the fight against terrorism, the United States and the Afghan government's position should be the same, right?
Reporter: In the fight against terrorism, the United States are not satisfied with the Afghan government's performance. Although the United States has more troops to Afghanistan, but still not improve the security situation in Afghanistan. Stationed in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, 15 million, of which 10 million people in the U.S. military, but military strikes against the militants did not eliminate the Taliban, have been frequent incidents of violence or a threat to September 18 parliamentary elections in Afghanistan safety. The election was seen as a key Afghan security test. In recent weeks there are four candidates and campaign supporters, 13 were killed by the Taliban as the government suspected. Last month, the United Nations issued a report, compared with last year, the number of civilian deaths during the first half of this year rose by 31%, of which three quarters of the militants died in the attack. In the treatment of the Taliban, the Karzai to stay in office will be more inclined to reach a power-sharing agreement with the Taliban, the United States on this issue reservations. Moderator!
Moderator: "Time" magazine reported that 1, when Obama said, to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Iraq will be able to make more resources to Afghanistan, the Afghans are not so happy, many Afghans fear that they will be like as the U.S. abandoned Iraq, how do you see the problem?
Reporter: I think the American media is very one-sided, on the one hand the Afghans are not worried about the United States abandoned them, on the contrary, the majority of Afghans want the United States immediately withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. This is because the forces of NATO air strikes in Afghanistan caused civilian casualties in Afghanistan continue, giving rise to the Afghan government and the public outcry. Afghan presidential palace said in a statement on the 2nd, the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan the same day in northeastern Takhar province of Afghanistan in a raid led to more than 10 civilian casualties, the Afghan side expressed condemnation. NATO press release issued the same day that NATO will propose as soon as possible to Afghanistan to investigate allegations of civilian deaths. However, we note that Obama in his speech against the Iraq war, just stay in the United States interests, rarely mentioned the war in Iraq brought severe trauma. Therefore, civilian casualties in Afghanistan, the U.S. still is an understatement, despite knowing that air strikes would inevitably harm innocent civilians, but U.S. air strikes will never give up, because this will not result in U.S. casualties, and the most easy to operate against militants a powerful tool.
the other hand, although the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq, but did not "abandon" Iraq, there are still about 50,000 U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq will continue to undertake consultancy and training missions. For Afghanistan, the same is true of the United States withdraw its troops from Afghanistan next year does not mean withdrawal of all U.S. troops immediately, there may be a considerable number of logistics personnel in the name of the U.S. military to remain in Afghanistan to establish military bases in Afghanistan. Moreover, based on energy, such as geo-strategic considerations, Afghanistan for the United States, as important as Iraq, the United States will not abandon Afghanistan.
We note that the meeting with Karzai, Gates held a press conference after his speech at the meeting confirmed this. Gates said that although the initial decision to the United States in July 2011 as the start time of withdrawal from Afghanistan, but it does not mean that the United States will abandon Afghanistan. U.S. withdrawal does not affect the United States to continue in the political, economic and military support on the Afghan side. Gates also said the United States will not change the total in Afghanistan, defeat the Taliban and its surrounding areas and the "base" organization goals. Moderator!
Moderator: So from the current situation, the U.S. military will withdraw from it in accordance with planning time, the U.S. military began to withdraw from the premise that?
Reporter: timing for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly said that the withdrawal timetable will be established so that the morale of the Taliban militants led by Barghouti, they can wait until the U.S. withdrawal can get out of victory. However, U.S. President Barack Obama on August 31 nationally televised speech in Washington, said there was no end date for the war not good for the United States and Afghanistan, he will honor the beginning of next July's commitment to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. Gates arrived in Afghanistan in the day, another two U.S. soldiers and local militants died in a firefight. January 2010 has been 326 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan, while the full year 2009, the number of U.S. troops killed is 317. Huge casualties to the U.S. government had to consider the issue of withdrawal. Of course, we must admit that the U.S. withdrawal on the premise that the Afghan security forces to assume security independence defense duties.
