Pentagon chief says Afghan policy in right direction despite Rabbani assassination
U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Tuesday said that U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is moving in the right direction despite the assassination of Afghan Peace Council Chief and ex-president Burhanuddin Rabbani.
At a Pentagon briefing, Panetta said that he is extremely concerned about the attack, but said the recent spade of high- profile assassinations were "not unexpected." He said that U.S. Commander in Afghanistan John Allen's assessment was that the U.S. side has made progress against the Taliban, and the anticipated broader range of attacks in the fighting season haven't occurred.
Rabbani was killed in a suicide attack at his residence in Kabul on Tuesday night. Panetta said that Rabbani was playing " important role in reconciliation," and he hopes to work with others to make progress in this regard.
The Taliban "have resorted to these assassinations," said Panetta, adding that the U.S. side is working with the Afghanis to provide better protection for people in high positions in Afghanistan.
"We are moving in right direction," said Panetta, noting that the U.S. strategy is making progress against Taliban.
Admiral Mike Mullen, who will soon retire from his post as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the same press briefing that he couldn't tell at this stage who's behind the assassination. He said that recent assassinations represents shift in Taliban strategy. He said that because the insurgency has " failed in field," so they shift to high-profile assassinations. He said that he doesn't see this is the moment to make significant change to U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.
U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered 10,000 troops out of Afghanistan by year-end, and a total of 33,000 troops will be out by next summer, fully recovering the surge troops he announced late 2009. By 2014, security responsibility will be transferred to the Afghans.
Editor: yan
English.news.cn 2011-09-21 03:13:42 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (Xinhua)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Obama meets with Afghan president
Obama meets with Afghan president
U.S. President Barack Obama met here Tuesday with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai, their first encounter since Obama laid out his plans for a U.S. transition of security lead in June.
Obama denounced as a "senseless act of violence" the assassination of Burhanuddin Rabbani, a former Afghan president who was serving as chairman of the Afghan High Peace Council.
Rabbani was killed in a suicide attack at his residence in Kabul on Tuesday night, an act claimed by the Taliban, which has launched a series of high-profile attacks in recent months including one on an CH-47 Chinook helicopter that left dead 30 soldiers of the U.S. Special Force, and another on the U.S. embassy in Kabul.
According to the White House, Obama called Rabbani's death a " tragic loss," saying "He was a man who cared very deeply about Afghanistan."
"We both believe that despite this incident that we will not be deterred from creating a path whereby Afghans can live in freedom, safety, security and prosperity," Obama said.
Karzai called Rabbani "an Afghan patriot who sacrificed his life." "This will not deter us from continuing down the path we have started," he added.
The Afghan president was leaving the United Nations meeting early to fly back to Afghanistan, the White House said.
Obama announced in June that 10,000 U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan by the end of this year and another 23,000 will return home by September 2012.
The U.S. forces began to pull out of Afghanistan in July, with an ultimate goal of transferring lead security responsibility to the Afghan forces by 2014.
Rabbani, an aged former Mujahdeen leader, was selected by Karzai as chairman of the High Peace Council in October 2010. The 70-member council was set up that month to broker peace with the Taliban forces.
Editor: yan
English.news.cn 2011-09-21 03:12:42 FeedbackPrintRSS
NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua)
U.S. President Barack Obama met here Tuesday with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai, their first encounter since Obama laid out his plans for a U.S. transition of security lead in June.
Obama denounced as a "senseless act of violence" the assassination of Burhanuddin Rabbani, a former Afghan president who was serving as chairman of the Afghan High Peace Council.
Rabbani was killed in a suicide attack at his residence in Kabul on Tuesday night, an act claimed by the Taliban, which has launched a series of high-profile attacks in recent months including one on an CH-47 Chinook helicopter that left dead 30 soldiers of the U.S. Special Force, and another on the U.S. embassy in Kabul.
According to the White House, Obama called Rabbani's death a " tragic loss," saying "He was a man who cared very deeply about Afghanistan."
"We both believe that despite this incident that we will not be deterred from creating a path whereby Afghans can live in freedom, safety, security and prosperity," Obama said.
Karzai called Rabbani "an Afghan patriot who sacrificed his life." "This will not deter us from continuing down the path we have started," he added.
The Afghan president was leaving the United Nations meeting early to fly back to Afghanistan, the White House said.
Obama announced in June that 10,000 U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan by the end of this year and another 23,000 will return home by September 2012.
The U.S. forces began to pull out of Afghanistan in July, with an ultimate goal of transferring lead security responsibility to the Afghan forces by 2014.
Rabbani, an aged former Mujahdeen leader, was selected by Karzai as chairman of the High Peace Council in October 2010. The 70-member council was set up that month to broker peace with the Taliban forces.
Editor: yan
English.news.cn 2011-09-21 03:12:42 FeedbackPrintRSS
NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua)
U.S. President Barack Obama says NATO mission to continue in Libya
Obama says NATO mission to continue in Libya
U.S. President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday that NATO mission will continue so long as the Libyan people are being threatened.
Addressing a high-level meeting on Libya at the United Nations, also known as the Friends of Libya meeting, Obama called on loyalists of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to lay down their arms. He called Libya "a lesson in what the international community can achieve when we stand together as one."
"I said at the beginning that we cannot and should not intervene every time there's an injustice in the world," he said. "Yet it's also true that at times the world could have and should have summoned the will to prevent the killing of innocents on a horrific scale."
The high-level international and multilateral meeting on Libya hosted by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon marks the start of the process of reconstruction and nation-building in Libya.
The UN chief called it "a historical day" for Libya, pledging UN support for the North African nation "in every way we can" in helping it meet the "large challenges" ahead.
Musta Abdel Jalil, chairman of the Transitional National Council (NTC) of Libya, pledged a fair trial for those accused of the Gaddafi regime.
Last Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to ease sanctions on Libya over assets and arms, and set up a UN mission to help restore public security as well as initiate economic recovery in the nation.
Hours earlier, the UN General Assembly approved NTC as the legitimate holder of the country's UN seat.
English.news.cn 2011-09-20 23:48:03 FeedbackPrintRSS
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua)
U.S. President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday that NATO mission will continue so long as the Libyan people are being threatened.
Addressing a high-level meeting on Libya at the United Nations, also known as the Friends of Libya meeting, Obama called on loyalists of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to lay down their arms. He called Libya "a lesson in what the international community can achieve when we stand together as one."
"I said at the beginning that we cannot and should not intervene every time there's an injustice in the world," he said. "Yet it's also true that at times the world could have and should have summoned the will to prevent the killing of innocents on a horrific scale."
The high-level international and multilateral meeting on Libya hosted by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon marks the start of the process of reconstruction and nation-building in Libya.
The UN chief called it "a historical day" for Libya, pledging UN support for the North African nation "in every way we can" in helping it meet the "large challenges" ahead.
Musta Abdel Jalil, chairman of the Transitional National Council (NTC) of Libya, pledged a fair trial for those accused of the Gaddafi regime.
Last Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to ease sanctions on Libya over assets and arms, and set up a UN mission to help restore public security as well as initiate economic recovery in the nation.
Hours earlier, the UN General Assembly approved NTC as the legitimate holder of the country's UN seat.
English.news.cn 2011-09-20 23:48:03 FeedbackPrintRSS
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)