Joint operations involving the NATO-led foreign coalition force and Afghan forces are continuing despite a recent decision by the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan to restrict them in response to a series of deadly insider attacks, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Tuesday.
Incidentally, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, had ordered on September 16 that partnered operations between the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan forces below the battalion level must be approved at the regional command.
Gen. Allen's order was in response to the recent spurt in the killing of ISAF personnel by civilians and militants dressed in police and military uniforms as well as Afghan soldiers themselves. More than 51 ISAF personnel have been killed in 34 such attacks, dubbed by the media as "green-on-blue" attacks, so far this year.
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the pullback as a precautionary measure last week. He also said that the move was partly in response to the violent anti-American demonstrations across the Islamic world after an American-made video surfaced on the Internet defaming the Prophet Muhammad.
Addressing a news conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Little told reporters he did not know for how long such operations would be scaled back. He, however, added that some patrols below the battalion level are still continuing.
"This is a temporary measure, and let me be clear as well that operations with our Afghan partners continue. The protection of our personnel is paramount, and we will continue to make adjustments as required over time to ensure their security," Little said.
The Pentagon spokesman said it would be up to the ISAF command in Afghanistan to determine how long partnered operations would be curtailed, and noted that Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta strongly supports Gen. Allen's decision. He also described coalition operations as "successful" and stressed that the US goal in Afghanistan remains unchanged.
"We see Afghans more and more in the lead for their own operations and for their own governance. That is the goal here, that is what we're training toward. At the end of the day, that is how success is going to be defined: whether Afghans can provide for their own security and govern themselves," Little added.
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