• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Rumsfeld announces move to stability

by Spc. Steven Marroni

KABUL, Afghanistan (Army News Service, May 2, 2003) -- The emphasis of Operation Enduring Freedom is moving toward stability and security operations, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced during his visit to Afghanistan.

Rumsfeld made that observation during a press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai May 1.

"I look at the progress in Afghanistan, and we're at the point where we're shifting our weight from major combat to stability and reconstruction activities," Rumsfeld said.

However, the transition does not mark an end to combat operations, he said. Forces will continue to root out terrorist elements around the country, and the U.S. will continue to support the formation of the Afghan National Army.

Provincial Reconstruction Teams, or PRTs, play an important roll in the future of Afghanistan, the secretary continued. They provide a link between the provinces and the new central government. Already established in Gardez, Bamiyan and Konduz, plans are in the works for five or six more teams.

Each team works closely with the local people of the region and consists of both civilian and military U.S. and coalition members, international and nongovernmental organizations to aid with Afghan reconstruction. Future teams are expected to be established in Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar, Jalalabad, Heart and Parwan.

Karzai added the teams are working well. His cabinet members are in constant contact with the outlying areas, he said, and they receive vital information almost instantaneously.

During his visit, Rumsfeld toured the Kabul Military Training Center, the U.S. Embassy and the Presidential Palace.

Prior to the conference, Rumsfeld and Karzai met privately and discussed the various successes in Afghanistan and future plans in the fight against terrorism and the progress of peace and stability.

"I was impressed with the marked change I've seen," Rumsfeld said about his tour of Afghanistan. "It may not be as apparent to those who are here continuously, but for me to come back after many months now and see the progress and feel the energy in the street and see the kiosks and people active and cars moving around and young children coming and going, it is a measure of the progress, the success here.

"It warms the hearts of those of us who wish the country well and look forward to the continued progress of the Afghan people."

Rumsfeld made a similar statement about the shift to stability and reconstruction in Iraq while visiting that country several days earlier.

(Editor's note: Spc. Steven Marroni is assigned to the 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment in Afghanistan.)