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Monthly press briefing by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

03 Nov. 2011

Monthly press briefing

by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen: Good morning,

This week I had the privilege to visit Tripoli – the capital of free Libya.

It was the first time ever that a NATO Secretary General set foot in the country. And something none of us could have imagined only a year ago.

But in the last nine months, a new Libya has been born. Without the courage, the determination and the sacrifice of the Libyan people, it would not have been possible. They fought for their freedom – and they won.

NATO played a vital role in protecting civilians. And I am proud of what we achieved. We called our operation Unified Protector, and that is what we did: we unified the international military response in support of a historic United Nations resolution, and we protected the people of Libya.

We did the right thing, in the right way, and we achieved the right result. I saw that with my own eyes in Tripoli. Despite nine months of conflict, I saw a lively market. Busy streets. The police on duty. Children making victory signs. And the graffiti of free Libya on the walls.

It is young Libyans – men and women – who hold the future in their hands. And I was extremely happy to meet representatives of many youth groups in Tripoli.

A young man called Ibrahim told me: “We are one people, we are Libyans. Qadhafi tried to exploit divisions among the people, but we are united.”

A young woman called Mirvat told me that Libya was on a new road to democracy – and that she wants to see women playing a strong role in it.

And many Libyans thanked me for what NATO has done. That includes Chairman Jalil, who told me, “NATO is in the heart of the Libyan people.”

NATO’s mission is over. And the new Libya has been born.

But the harder task remains for Libya’s new leaders: to shape their society into a true democracy.

Because they have won their freedom. But freedom comes with responsibilities.

And the National Transitional Council has an immense responsibility – to the Libyan people, and to history.

As the United Nations Security Council made clear this week, the new Libya must be based on respect for human rights, the rule of law, justice and reconciliation. It must represent all Libyans – including women, and including minorities.

And it must play a responsible role in the region. That includes preventing the spread of arms through North Africa. As the Security Council stressed, the National Transitional Council must do whatever it takes to bring the situation under control. And neighbouring states must take action too.

I discussed this issue with Chairman Jalil, and he is fully aware of his responsibilities.

These are not easy challenges. But Libya is not alone. They can, if they wish, ask the International Community, including individual Allies and nations, for support. NATO is also ready to help with the reform of the defence and security sectors, if so requested.

But despite all the challenges, this is a time of optimism. Because the Libyan people hold their country in their own hands. They have the chance to make the future better than the past. And, as I saw in Tripoli this week, that is what they are determined to do.

Now, let me turn to Afghanistan. Despite the violence of last weekend, we are moving in the right direction.

Spectacular attacks capture the headlines. But they don’t capture more ground. They do not allow the enemies of Afghanistan to seize and hold ground. And the bigger picture is different: overall enemy attacks are decreasing and the enemy has been weakened.

Enemy attacks were down 26% from July to September this year, compared to the same period last year.

In Helmand, attacks have decreased by 30% in some districts by 80%.

Since the last time I spoke to you, we have passed a new milestone in our training of the Afghan security forces. Our target for this October was to have 306.000 Afghan soldiers and police trained – and we did it.

Transition is on track. President Karzai will soon announce the next group of provinces and districts to be handed over to Afghan security lead. A quarter of the Afghan population already has day-to-day security provided by Afghan forces. And I expect the next group to be equally significant.

Actually, there are many success stories in Afghanistan:

• The economy is 11 times bigger than it was under the Taliban
• There are now 18.000 kilometers of paved roads which gives a boost to trade and the economy
• There are 5 times more people enrolled in education programs – 40% of them women. Under the Taliban women were not allowed to get an education
• And women play an important role in political life and even in the police and the army
• There is a boom in mobile phones and a vibrant media scene – which also contribute to progress in the country

As transition proceeds, much hard work lies ahead which is why the engagement of Afghanistan’s neighbours is critical. Yesterday’s meeting in Istanbul is an important part of that process.

Nous savons tous qu’il n’y a pas de solution miracle en Afghanistan. Le pays subit la violence depuis des décennies. C’est pourquoi l’engagement de l’OTAN et de ses partenaires en faveur de l’Afghanistan persistera pendant et après la transition.

Nous n’abandonnerons pas l’Afghanistan. Pour le bien du peuple afghan, dans l’intérêt de la région et aussi pour nos propres populations, nous irons jusqu’au bout de notre mission. Nous allons progressivement réduire notre rôle dans le combat, mais pas notre engagement. L’Afghanistan aura besoin de notre soutien après 2014. Et nous continuerons de lui fournir ce soutien.

And with that, I am ready to take your questions.