Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen discussed the strategy for the war in Afghanistan outlined by President Barack Obama Tuesday night.
In his opening statement, Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said that the U.S. "has important security interests in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region."
He added, "Instability in Afghanistan, or the return of the Taliban to power, would not only provide fertile ground for Al Qaeda and other extremists to regroup and renew plots against the United States and its allies, but it would also threaten the stability of neighboring Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country."
Levin said that he agreed with Obama's call for the training and rapid growth of the Afghanistan National Security Forces, his call for more NATO involvement in Afghanistan, and his call for more active involvement of the Afghanistan government in preparing it to function on its own.
While ranking member Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., said he agrees with Obama's decision to send 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, he said he does not agree with the decision to establish a timeline of about 18 months before he begins withdrawing those troops.
"What I do not support, and what concerns me greatly, is the president's decision to set an arbitrary date to begin withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan," McCain said.
He added, "A date for withdrawal sends exactly the wrong message to both our friends and our enemies - in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the entire region - all of whom currently doubt whether America is committed to winning this war."
McCain argued that setting a withdrawal date "only emboldens Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, while dispiriting our Afghan partners and making it less likely that they will risk their lives to take our side in this fight."
In her testimony, Secretary Clinton said that, as part of its strategy in Afghanistan, the U.S. would work with the Afghan and Pakistani governments to "eliminate safe havens for those plotting attacks against us, our allies, and our interests."
She also said the U.S. would "help to stabilize a region that is fundamental to our national security."
Additionally, Clinton stated the U.S. would "develop a long-term, sustainable relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past."
In addressing the limited time the extra U.S. troops will be in Afghanistan, Clinton said, "The duration of our military presence will be limited, but our civilian commitment must continue even as our troops begin to come home."
She further emphasized that the U.S. "will help by working with our Afghan partners to strengthen institutions at every level of Afghan society so that we don't leave chaos behind when our combat troops begin to depart."
Clinton said the U.S. plans to triple the number of civilian positions in Afghanistan to 974 by early next year.
Finally, she argued that a "strong, stable, democratic Pakistan" will be key to the U.S. in helping to maintain stability in both Afghanistan and the entire region.
Secretary Gates also emphasized the importance of Pakistan to the war in Afghanistan in his testimony, stating, "Giving extremists breathing room in Pakistan led to the resurgence of the Taliban and more coordinated, sophisticated attacks in Afghanistan."
He said that, in the past year, "the Pakistan Taliban...has become a real threat to Pakistan's own domestic peace and stability, carrying out - with Al Qaeda's help - escalating bombing attacks throughout the country."
Gates said the U.S. is well aware that "the Pakistan Taliban operate in collusion with both the Taliban in Afghanistan and Al Qaeda."
"A stable security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan - one that is sustainable over the
long term by their governments - is vital to our national security," Gates added.
He indicated that the U.S. strategy for the region would involve reversing Taliban momentum through sustained military action by the U.S., its allies and the Afghans themselves.
Further, Gates said the U.S. would work to deny the Taliban access to and control of key population and production centers and lines of communication.
The U.S. will also disrupt the Taliban outside secured areas and prevent Al Qaeda from regaining sanctuary in Afghanistan, which he said would help degrade Taliban to levels manageable by the Afghan National Security Forces.
Gates said another goal would be increasing the size and capability of the ANSF and employing other local forces selectively to begin transitioning security responsibility to the Afghan government within the roughly 18 months the troops surge will be in place.
Admiral Mullen said in his testimony that one of the major goals for the U.S. in Afghanistan is to "deny al Qaeda safe haven and the Afghan-Taliban the ability to overthrow the duly elected Afghan government."
"To achieve this refined strategic aim," Mullen added, "we must continue to deny al Qaeda any Afghanistan toe-hold, reverse the momentum of the Taliban insurgency, and build sufficient Afghan government and security capacity to eventually defeat the insurgent threat."
He argued that Obama is committed to rapidly send the 30,000 extra troops "to get as much force into the fight as fast as General (Stanley) McChrystal can absorb it."
Doing this, Mullen argued, will allow Generals McChrystal and David Petraeus to "plan for cohesive logistics and transportation support over the course of the coming year."
Mullen also emphasized that he expects U.S. forces in Afghanistan to make "significant headway in the next 18-24 months."
by RTT Staff Writer
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