US leaders express concern over war situation
Saturday, 12 December 2009
WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (AFP): US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton conceded Thursday that security concerns limited movement for American civilians working in Afghanistan, but said US troops still escorted them to key places.
"We're quite encouraged by how much of our civilian team has been able to get out into parts of Afghanistan that are targets for our civilian assistance," Clinton told reporters.
"But it's clear that we can't go everywhere we'd like to go. The security situation doesn't permit that," she told journalists during a visit by Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic of Croatia, which has 300 troops in Afghanistan.
"So what we're doing is embedding a lot of our civilians with our military troops," the chief US diplomat said as she stood next to Jandrokovic.
The policy allows the civilian experts and aid workers to get out "at the same time or literally the next day after the Marines and the army have sent the go signal that civilians can begin to work with... the Afghan people on a range of issues," she said.
But John Dempsey, a United States Institute of Peace analyst, told AFP last month that if civilians are stuck mainly on a military base or with armed escorts, "the impact of the increase will be marginal yet expensive."
AP adds: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told American troops Friday in this oil-rich northern city that their mission in Iraq remains critical despite the nation's focus on Afghanistan and that plans are on track to reduce forces next year.
In a town hall meeting, Gates spoke with about 300 soldiers and airmen gathered outside on a sunny day at an airbase.
Gates also said plans to drawdown forces there after Iraq's March elections remain intact. When asked whether political turmoil might threaten that timeline, Gates said he didn't think so because all indications were that Iraqi leaders were tired of war and wanted a unified Iraq.
The secretary also said significant international sanctions would be levied if Iran continued with its current nuclear program, and he reiterated that all options, including military action, must stay on the table.
"We're quite encouraged by how much of our civilian team has been able to get out into parts of Afghanistan that are targets for our civilian assistance," Clinton told reporters.
"But it's clear that we can't go everywhere we'd like to go. The security situation doesn't permit that," she told journalists during a visit by Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic of Croatia, which has 300 troops in Afghanistan.
"So what we're doing is embedding a lot of our civilians with our military troops," the chief US diplomat said as she stood next to Jandrokovic.
The policy allows the civilian experts and aid workers to get out "at the same time or literally the next day after the Marines and the army have sent the go signal that civilians can begin to work with... the Afghan people on a range of issues," she said.
But John Dempsey, a United States Institute of Peace analyst, told AFP last month that if civilians are stuck mainly on a military base or with armed escorts, "the impact of the increase will be marginal yet expensive."
AP adds: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told American troops Friday in this oil-rich northern city that their mission in Iraq remains critical despite the nation's focus on Afghanistan and that plans are on track to reduce forces next year.
In a town hall meeting, Gates spoke with about 300 soldiers and airmen gathered outside on a sunny day at an airbase.
Gates also said plans to drawdown forces there after Iraq's March elections remain intact. When asked whether political turmoil might threaten that timeline, Gates said he didn't think so because all indications were that Iraqi leaders were tired of war and wanted a unified Iraq.
The secretary also said significant international sanctions would be levied if Iran continued with its current nuclear program, and he reiterated that all options, including military action, must stay on the table.