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Gates Visits Afghanistan, Meets With Karzai

December 08, 2009

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has reportedly affirmed Washington's commitment to Afghanistan in a meeting with Hamid Karzai during a previously unannounced visit to Kabul.

Gates made the remark at a news conference after the meeting, at the presidential palace.

Gates is the first senior member of President Barack Obama's administration to visit since Obama announced last week that he is sending 30,000 reinforcements to Afghanistan, and that strategy was a topic of the defense secretary's talks with Karzai.

At the same news conference, President Karzai said that Afghanistan would not be able to pay the cost of maintaining its security forces for at least another 15 years.

Finding ways to strengthen and increase recruiting in the Afghan National Army was among the topics discussed.

Karzai, sworn in last month for another term in office, also told journalists that he would not change his entire cabinet, adding that he would introduce his whole cabinet for parliamentary approval after an ongoing review was concluded.

Karzai also reaffirmed his commitment to fight corruption. But observers see his cabinet announcement as the first test of his willingness to meet his pledge for government reforms.

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Kabul, Gates said he would press Karzai to appoint "honest" ministers.

Karzai postponed the scheduled announcement of his key ministers today and is now expected to announce his entire cabinet next week. Gates played down the need for a wholesale government shakeup.

Gates' visit comes as he ordered 16,000 troops to deploy, the first wave of 30,000 new reinforcements ordered last week by Obama.

The orders will nearly double the U.S. Marine contingent in the southern Afghan provinces of Kandahar and Helmand.

Responding to concerns about a premature U.S. withdrawal, Gates said he would tell U.S. troops: "We're in this thing to win."

But Gates said he expected Kabul to do more to train Afghan forces to prepare for the withdrawal of U.S. troops which Obama announced would start in July 2011.

Gates said one of the "eye openers" for him was learning that many Taliban fighters were better paid than members of the Afghan national army and police. Washington and Kabul have boosted wages and promised bonuses.

He said the Marines would flow into Afghanistan at a "fairly steady pace" over the next few weeks and would be at full force by about February.

compiled from agency reports

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/Gates_Arrives_In_Afghanistan/1897716.html

Copyright (c) 2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.