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U.S. General Jones says narcotics pose a significant long-term challenge

06 March 2006

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Pace also assesses situation in Afghanistan

By David I. McKeeby
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- NATO plans to expand into Afghanistan’s southern and eastern regions in 2006, where it will assume a larger role supporting Afghan forces as they eradicate opium crops, says U.S. Marine General James L. Jones, commander of U.S. forces in Europe.

When the expansion is completed, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will comprise 21,000 military personnel from 36 nations “working together to bring peace, stability, and reconstruction to Afghanistan,” Jones told reporters at a March 6 press briefing at the Defense Department.

NATO’s expansion in Afghanistan will allow rebuilding to occur while freeing the United States and other coalition partners to step up pressure on remaining Taliban and al-Qaida forces.

“Afghanistan is on the way to recovery, but it is also fighting some internal demons,” said Jones, who also serves as the supreme allied commander for NATO forces.

The country’s main demons are the economy’s continuing dependence on the narcotics trade and the corruption and violence that follow the drug trade. (See related article.)

“Ninety percent of the [opium poppy] harvest in Afghanistan is bought on the streets of Europe and translated back into supporting terrorist activities in Europe,” said Jones.

The United Kingdom is the lead nation supporting Afghan counternarcotics operations.  In its expanded role, NATO will augment international support to Afghan authorities through intelligence gathering and by providing security to Afghan forces.

“[Afghan] President Karzai and his government will be the ones who will have the most visible input into this.  But it will have to be supported by the family of nations,” Jones said.

A transcript of the briefing is available on the Defense Department Web site.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)