01 August 2002
U.S. Officials Unsure How Long Forces Will Be in Afghanistan
(Key senators urge expansion of security effort outside Kabul) (1000)
By Ralph Dannheisser
Washington File Congressional Correspondent
Washington -- Despite major successes in the war against terrorism to
date, the effort remains "still closer to the beginning than to the
end," Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says.
Rumsfeld made the comment as he testified on the war effort -- with
special emphasis on progress in Afghanistan -- together with Army
General Tommy Franks, commander of the U.S. Central Command, July 31
before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Members of the committee, for their part, lauded Rumsfeld and Franks
on what they too see as impressive successes -- but several senior
members questioned whether the United States and coalition partners
should not do more to expand activities of the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF), now limited to the Kabul area.
Committee Chairman Carl Levin (Democrat, Michigan) was the first to
raise those questions, quoting U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan as
saying that a limited expansion "would make a huge contribution to the
consolidation of peace."
Asked for his views, Rumsfeld said that both he and the Bush
administration believe that "the international security force is a
good thing and that, to the extent countries are interested in
expanding it ... that would certainly be a useful thing."
But, Rumsfeld said, "The problem is that no (other) countries are
stepping forward to do that," and it would be inappropriate for the
United States to take on the task because "our plate is pretty full."
"We feel that trying to stop terrorists from committing additional
terrorist acts is our first priority, and our second priority is to
support the existing ISAF, and our third priority is to try to train
an Afghan national army," he added. "If people step forward,
terrific."
But Levin urged the administration to consider offering added
resources toward the ISAF effort, "particularly if it might result in
other countries coming through with pledges."
Raising the prospect of severe instability in Afghanistan if competing
factions outside Kabul are given free rein, Levin termed it "a huge
issue" and added, "We don't want to win this war and then lose the
peace in the sense of seeing a return to chaos."
Senator John McCain of Arizona, a senior Republican on the committee,
strongly backed Levin's view.
McCain recalled that the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan when
"we...turned our back" on the country after helping to drive out
Soviet troops in the 1980s, because "the people preferred totalitarian
government to chaos," and urged responsible officials to learn from
that history.
"Right now, outside of Kabul we are bordering to some degree on chaos.
You mentioned yourself there are warlords fighting against one
another, and we don't know what side to intervene on," he told
Rumsfeld.
"The fact is we need to expand the peacekeeping force. We can't expect
any other country to do it....We're the world's superpower. We have to
step up," he declared.
On the issue of how long the Afghan component of the U.S.-declared war
on terrorism may take, Franks -- who has commanded operations there --
told the committee that although Afghanistan "is rising from the
oppression of the Taliban into an independent, democratic nation" and
he is "optimistic about the future," nevertheless "much work remains
to be done."
Pressed by Senator John Warner of Virginia, top ranking Republican on
the committee, when he might consider the job finished, Franks was
noncommittal.
"Sir, I'm not sure how long it will take us to work our way through
each and every piece of the geography of this terribly compartmented
country to assure ourselves, me and my bosses, that that work (of
destroying the al-Qaida network) has been completed," he said.
"We're just going to continue...until we see ourselves able to put a
check beside each component of the mission," Franks added.
After hearing from Rumsfeld on the broader problems of bringing
stability to the country, Warner commented, "All of that indicates to
this senator, and we'd best tell the American people, we're going to
be there for a long time."
While Senator Max Cleland (Democrat, Georgia), opened his comments
with praise for Rumsfeld and Franks -- as did virtually all his
colleagues -- he swiftly became critical of what he suggested was a
loss of focus in the anti-terror campaign.
"Mr. Secretary, for me, Operation Enduring Freedom has become
Operation Enduring Frustration," Cleland said.
While "I think it's fine to nation-build or liberate Afghanistan," he
said, "for me the frustration continues because we still haven't
killed or captured Osama bin Laden and his terrorist cadre.
"Do you happen to know where he is?" Cleland asked Rumsfeld.
Rumsfeld responded with a variation on the formulation he has been
using regularly in recent months. "The United States of American does
not know where he is.... He may be dead. He may be seriously wounded.
He may be in Afghanistan. He may be somewhere else. But wherever he
is, if he is, you can be certain he is having one dickens of a time
operating his apparatus," the secretary said.
But, Rumsfeld suggested, eliminating bin Laden may not be all that
critical.
"He's important, but there are plenty of people -- six, eight, 10, 12
people, probably -- who could take over the al-Qaida. They know where
the bank accounts are. They know the names of people who were trained.
They know the sleeper cells that exist around the world," he said.
Thus, Rumsfeld suggested, the key task is not a manhunt for bin Laden,
but rather a continuing effort to deal with the terrorists and "the
countries that are providing safe haven to them."
This is being done, he told Cleland, and so, "You can be frustrated if
you want. I'm not."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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