US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld speaks at a joint press conference held with Afghan President Hamid Karzai (not seen in the picture) in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, July 11, 2006. Rumsfeld arrived in Kabul Tuesday to hold talks with Karzai. (Xinhua Photo) |
US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (L) speaks while Afghan President Hamid Karzai looks on during a press conference in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, July 11, 2006. Rumsfeld arrived in Kabul Tuesday to hold talks with Karzai. (Xinhua Photo) |
KABUL, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Visiting U.S. Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said here on Tuesday that the U.S military forces will
not leave Afghanistan and it will play an important role in fighting against
terrorism in the country.
Speaking at a joint press
conference with Afghan President HamidKarzai, Rumsfeld said, "the U.S. military
is not leaving Afghanistan, although NATO-led troops would take command of the
anti-terror war from the U.S.-led coalition forces in southern Afghanistan late
July."
"The U.S. troops will go on to play an important role
in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), some troops of
which are moving toward the anti-Taliban frontier in southern Afghanistan,
because the U.S. is an important member of NATO," Rumsfeld said.
Rumsfeld vowed the United States would intensify
counter-terrorism tasks in Afghanistan until success was made, saying it would
help train more Afghan troops and police and provide better equipments.
Rumsfeld said cooperation from Pakistan in
Afghanistan's anti-terror war had been "helpful", but didn't completely reduce
violence."More work should be done, and more cooperation should be carried out."
Karzai said Afghanistan needed the U.S. participation
and assistance very very much. The Afghan forces and police are still not strong
enough to cope with security problems by themselves.
Earlier this year, local reports said that he United
States would withdraw 4,000 troops of the total 22,000 from Afghanistan as it
intended to focus on the more violence occurred in Iraq.
Taliban-linked rising violence in southern and
eastern Afghanistan has apparently postponed U.S. plan to withdraw its troops
from the country, according to local reports.
Afghanistan has suffered from a comeback of Taliban
militants this year, during which more than 1,000 were killed. The deaths were
mainly from the Taliban camp, while more than 50 foreign soldiers, mostly U.S.
troops, have lost their lives. Enditem
