ianstone
09-27-2010, 04:38 PM
British general plays down US timetable for Afghan withdrawal
http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/std/siteimages/eveningstandard/columnists/robert.fox.gif Robert Fox, Defence Correspondent (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-home/columnistarchive/Robert%20Fox,%20Defence%20Correspondent-columnist-2145-archive.do)
27.09.10
[/URL]
British and American troops engaged in Helmand and [URL="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-34283-kandahar.do"]Kandahar (http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=B_2E_RQChTISvIZDLjQeZoLwh6KO2OYSU-8kCwI23AcCaDBAEGAQgr5nUESgEOABQw8fLrgZgu7bFg9AKoAH h1qv_A7IBFnd3dy50aGlzaXNsb25kb24uY28udWvIAQHaAWlod HRwOi8vd3d3LnRoaXNpc2xvbmRvbi5jby51ay9zdGFuZGFyZC9 hcnRpY2xlLTIzODgyNDkwLWdlbmVyYWwtcGxheXMtZG93bi1hZ mdoYW4td2l0aGRyYXdhbC10aW1ldGFibGUuZG-pAqMdFu6Fl7o-yAK0-LwBqAMB6APxBugD0yfoA7kB9QMAAAJE9QMAIAAB&num=4&sig=AGiWqtw1887hXOt_prcH3ph7TqrmttZhfA&client=ca-pub-1303991290747972&adurl=http://www.specialopswatch.co.uk) are beginning to show crucial gains, Britain's commander in Afghanistan (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-475-afghanistan.do) General Sir Nick Parker said in a farewell address today.
Speaking on a video link to Kabul (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-5152-kabul.do), he said that there is 'tough fighting' in the operations begun this weekend round Kandahar. But he believed that the Taliban (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-5165-the-taliban.do) in southern Afghanistan had taken "a severe kicking" this summer in a series of battles and attacks, many led by British and American Special Forces.
General Parker said that the deadline of July next year set by President Obama (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-1447-barack-obama.do) should not be taken as a signal to begin significant withdrawal from Afghanistan. He said "it is absolutely reasonable to set a timetable for re-assessment."
However, he said he didn't expect much more than about 2,000 international troops brought home next summer out of an ISAF international force of around 148,000.
General Parker insisted that the international and Afghan forces were turning the tied. He said: "Of course, if you are asked if its is all worth it, and you have a son or daughter wounded or killed, you might well say 'no'. But here we are seeing a comprehensive campaign which is showing enduring achievement."
General Parker's son, Captain Harry Parker, was severely wounded by an IED bomb in Nad e Ali last summer, and subsequently lost both legs.
The general admitted that perhaps he might have been "too enthusiastic" when he suggested that Operation Moshtarak, the biggest operation in Helmand and by US (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-229-united-states.do) and British troops this year, would pacify the former Taliban hotbed of Marjah inside six months.
"This was self-evidently not the case," he admitted, but he said some gains had been made lately: Marjah now had four schools and 350 policemen, 50 recruited from the district itself.
He said that the recent parliamentary elections had been more successful than some early publicity suggested. And the Afghans themselves had run the vote much better than in the presidential elections last year.
"There was a lot of shooting, but very little round the polling stations; very few were attacked."
There had been fraud, he said, and this was now being examined; results won't be known until the end of next month at the earliest.
Many young Taliban are giving up - particularly those $10 a day local boys. He singled out the Taliban of eastern Afghanistan led by the Haqqani clan, and affiliated to al Qaeda (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-5630-al-qaeda.do), as "irreconcilable".
With the crucial Nato summit in Lisbon (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-5174-lisbon.do) in November due to decide the future direction of international military strategy in Afghanistan, General Parker warned of the effect of "of too many national domestic agendas," within the alliance.
His message was that Britain cannot expect to reduce its forces any time soon from the present strength of around 10,200. "They may well be needed in a different role, mentoring and advising, but being able to step back into the frontline again," from next summer.
He would not speculate where this fitted into the domestic agenda of the Cameron government which is due to decide on swingeing cuts in defence and the armed forces at a National Security Council (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-97126-white-house-national-security-council.do) meeting in London (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-94056-london-england.do) tomorrow. And in his new job as CinC of the Army General Parker will have to carry out the much-heralded cuts in the Army ranks.
http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/std/siteimages/eveningstandard/columnists/robert.fox.gif Robert Fox, Defence Correspondent (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-home/columnistarchive/Robert%20Fox,%20Defence%20Correspondent-columnist-2145-archive.do)
27.09.10
[/URL]
British and American troops engaged in Helmand and [URL="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-34283-kandahar.do"]Kandahar (http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=B_2E_RQChTISvIZDLjQeZoLwh6KO2OYSU-8kCwI23AcCaDBAEGAQgr5nUESgEOABQw8fLrgZgu7bFg9AKoAH h1qv_A7IBFnd3dy50aGlzaXNsb25kb24uY28udWvIAQHaAWlod HRwOi8vd3d3LnRoaXNpc2xvbmRvbi5jby51ay9zdGFuZGFyZC9 hcnRpY2xlLTIzODgyNDkwLWdlbmVyYWwtcGxheXMtZG93bi1hZ mdoYW4td2l0aGRyYXdhbC10aW1ldGFibGUuZG-pAqMdFu6Fl7o-yAK0-LwBqAMB6APxBugD0yfoA7kB9QMAAAJE9QMAIAAB&num=4&sig=AGiWqtw1887hXOt_prcH3ph7TqrmttZhfA&client=ca-pub-1303991290747972&adurl=http://www.specialopswatch.co.uk) are beginning to show crucial gains, Britain's commander in Afghanistan (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-475-afghanistan.do) General Sir Nick Parker said in a farewell address today.
Speaking on a video link to Kabul (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-5152-kabul.do), he said that there is 'tough fighting' in the operations begun this weekend round Kandahar. But he believed that the Taliban (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-5165-the-taliban.do) in southern Afghanistan had taken "a severe kicking" this summer in a series of battles and attacks, many led by British and American Special Forces.
General Parker said that the deadline of July next year set by President Obama (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-1447-barack-obama.do) should not be taken as a signal to begin significant withdrawal from Afghanistan. He said "it is absolutely reasonable to set a timetable for re-assessment."
However, he said he didn't expect much more than about 2,000 international troops brought home next summer out of an ISAF international force of around 148,000.
General Parker insisted that the international and Afghan forces were turning the tied. He said: "Of course, if you are asked if its is all worth it, and you have a son or daughter wounded or killed, you might well say 'no'. But here we are seeing a comprehensive campaign which is showing enduring achievement."
General Parker's son, Captain Harry Parker, was severely wounded by an IED bomb in Nad e Ali last summer, and subsequently lost both legs.
The general admitted that perhaps he might have been "too enthusiastic" when he suggested that Operation Moshtarak, the biggest operation in Helmand and by US (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-229-united-states.do) and British troops this year, would pacify the former Taliban hotbed of Marjah inside six months.
"This was self-evidently not the case," he admitted, but he said some gains had been made lately: Marjah now had four schools and 350 policemen, 50 recruited from the district itself.
He said that the recent parliamentary elections had been more successful than some early publicity suggested. And the Afghans themselves had run the vote much better than in the presidential elections last year.
"There was a lot of shooting, but very little round the polling stations; very few were attacked."
There had been fraud, he said, and this was now being examined; results won't be known until the end of next month at the earliest.
Many young Taliban are giving up - particularly those $10 a day local boys. He singled out the Taliban of eastern Afghanistan led by the Haqqani clan, and affiliated to al Qaeda (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-5630-al-qaeda.do), as "irreconcilable".
With the crucial Nato summit in Lisbon (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-5174-lisbon.do) in November due to decide the future direction of international military strategy in Afghanistan, General Parker warned of the effect of "of too many national domestic agendas," within the alliance.
His message was that Britain cannot expect to reduce its forces any time soon from the present strength of around 10,200. "They may well be needed in a different role, mentoring and advising, but being able to step back into the frontline again," from next summer.
He would not speculate where this fitted into the domestic agenda of the Cameron government which is due to decide on swingeing cuts in defence and the armed forces at a National Security Council (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-97126-white-house-national-security-council.do) meeting in London (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-94056-london-england.do) tomorrow. And in his new job as CinC of the Army General Parker will have to carry out the much-heralded cuts in the Army ranks.