The top U.S. general in Afghanistan told reporters Monday that the growth of the war-torn nation’s security forces “is largely on track” ahead of a scheduled drawdown of American troops next summer, but he warned of increased violence as coalition forces target Taliban-controlled regions.
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, in Washington this week for a visit by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, said the reinforcements ordered by President Obama last winter will work alongside Afghan forces to secure “the spiritual center of the Taliban” in Kandahar, building on the success of a 10-month-old campaign in Helmand province.
Both Gen. McChrystal and Karl W. Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador in Kabul, stressed the necessity of providing Afghan citizens with a secure environment to help the nation’s government take hold.
“Only when they experience security from coercion, and only when they benefit from better governance, will they believe in the possibilities of the future,” said Gen. McChrystal, speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room. “This is a process that takes time. It will demand courage and resilience.”
Good governance is likely to be a central topic of conversation this week as Mr. Karzai and about a dozen ministers roll into town for a series of meetings with their American counterparts, including a three-hour meeting between Mr. Obama and Mr. Karzai on Wednesday.
Playing down a recent public spat over corruption following Mr. Obama’s stealth visit to Kabul in March, U.S. officials hope to use the visit to focus on the shared goals of security and fostering reconciliation with some members of the Taliban.
The stakes are high: Mr. Karzai, now in his second term, faces criticism for centralizing power and slow progress on battling corruption. Meanwhile, it’s been nearly six months since Mr. Obama committed tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan in a plan he expects will allow forces to start withdrawing next summer.
Mr. Karzai’s visit is the first time the men have seen each other face to face since Mr. Obama’s Kabul trip, when he notably pressed Mr. Karzai on anti-corruption efforts — prompting the temperamental Afghan leader later to accuse the West of attempting to tarnish his victory in a controversial election.
White House officials on Monday sought to tamp down perceptions of tension.
“Every bilateral relationship, especially one that’s as close as we have with Afghanistan, they experience ups and downs,” Mr. Eikenberry said. “But what measures true partnership is the ability, when the stakes are as high as they are for Afghanistan and the United States of America, to be able to work our way through difficulties and come back together and still find ourselves well aligned.”
U.S. officials have emphasized shared objectives of denying a safe haven to members of the Taliban by improving security and governance in the country, where insurgents maintain a foothold in many rural areas. Mr. Obama in December ordered an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to the country, nearly 5,000 of which have deployed and another 18,000 set to ship out before summer, with the remainder arriving this fall.
Another topic of discussion will be a reintegration plan being drafted by Mr. Karzai’s government that would require insurgents to renounce their ties to terrorism and accept the country’s constitution. U.S. officials have said they support an Afghan-led process on the issue but declined to comment further when pressed by reporters Monday.
Mr. Karzai’s visit comes before he hosts a three-day peace assembly, called a “jirga,” later this month to solicit ideas from citizens and tribal leaders on how to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. In July, his government will host its first international conference in Kabul, during which Mr. Karzai is expected to provide detailed plans on how to implement the government reforms he promised during his second inaugural speech.
“This can be an important opportunity for the two sides to come together and to take stock of where we are, take stock of what the next steps are, what additional steps might be taken, what additional support the international community can provide, and what additional steps the Afghans can take to implement their own plans as it relates to improving governance and security in their country,” said Ben Rhodes, White House deputy adviser for strategic communications, in a conference call Friday.
Mr. Karzai’s visit kicks off Tuesday with a joint appearance with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the State Department. The White House meetings take place Wednesday, and Mr. Karzai will pay a visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, Mr. Rhodes said.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.