Nato’s International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan will require a “sustained, substantial commitment” but can still be carried out, a top US commander said.
General David Petraeus, commander of United States Central Command (Centcom), who oversees strategy in Afghanistan, gave a lecture in London in which he said levels of violence were running 60 per cent higher than last year.
“Some of that may be attributable to Afghan forces and ISAF going on the offensive recently,” he said.
“The Taliban have expanded their strength and influence, particularly in places which lack Afghan security forces.
“They benefit from reasonable freedom of movement in border areas, funding their activities from the narcotics industry and donations.”
He said the focus of Isaf’s efforts was to protect and serve the Afghan people in order to prevent Taliban rule and extremist sanctuaries being re-established similar to the ones there before the September 11th attacks on the United States.
In addition to military operations, reconstruction was taking place, he said.
“We are working to help the Afghan government get serious about combating corruption which has undermined the legitimacy of some Afghan institutions, and we are working to disrupt narcotics trafficking,” he said.
“The challenges in Afghanistan are significant, but the stakes are also high, and while the situation unquestionably is serious, the mission is still do-able.”
Gen Petraeus, who is associated with the “surge” which greatly reduced insurgent violence in Iraq, said developments in Pakistan over the last five months had been “reasonably heartening”.
He said: “Leaders of Pakistan have seen the extremist threat as a threat to the very existence of the Pakistan state. That has led them to unite in pursuing extremists.”
There has been progress in clearing Pakistani Taliban from the Swat district, he said.
PA