London, Oct 1 (DPA) The situation in Afghanistan is “serious”, with victory not something that can be taken for granted, the commander of NATO forces in the country said Thursday in a speech to a London audience.
“The situation is serious and I choose that word very, very carefully,” said US General Stanley McChrystal, the new NATO commander for more than 100,000 international troops in Afghanistan.
“Neither success nor failure in our endeavour in support of the Afghan people and government can be taken for granted.”
Speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London thinktank, McChrystal continued to press his case for 40,000 more troops in Afghanistan, a change in strategy, and more attention to be paid to the welfare of Afghan citizens.
The General has been pressing for all three from the US government, making the case that Afghanistan is currently in a make-or-break situation after eight years of international military presence in the wartorn nation.
McChrystal stressed that international forces in Afghanistan hinges upon convincing Afghan citizens that the foreign presence can improve their standards of living.
“These efforts will not remain winnable indefinitely. Public support will not last indefinitely,” he added. “We must redefine the fight. The objective is the will of the Afghan people. We must protect the Afghan people from all threats – from the enemy, from our own actions.”
“We are going to have to do things dramatically differently, even uncomfortably differently in the way we operate.”
He said it was unfortunate that it had taken until now for coalition forces to realize the seriousness of the situation, adding that there had not been enough support for operations there.