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Progress in Afghanistan, strides to make in Pakistan
Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) concluded a visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan this week. The Senators were in the region from Aug. 21 through Aug. 23 and met with U.S. troops and commanders and senior civilian and government leaders.
The Senators made the following joint statement about their trip:
We are in awe of the extraordinary professionalism of our troops and at the high morale they maintain.
There has been militarily significant progress in Afghanistan since our last visits, particularly in the south. The transition of selected regions to Afghan control is on target. The proportion of Afghan troops conducting missions has significantly improved, and the Afghans are increasingly in the lead. Increasing the size and capability of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) is having benefits. The ability of the ANSF to protect the Afghan people is the key to success of our mission. The vast majority of the Afghan people detests the Taliban and tolerate their presence out of fear.
Coalition and Afghan forces have successfully diminished Taliban havens in southern Afghanistan. As a result, the Taliban are increasingly focusing their efforts in eastern Afghanistan. Consequently, the Pakistan safe havens for the Haqqani Group and the Afghan Taliban Quetta Shura pose a greater threat than ever. These safe havens allow those insurgents to cross the border to attack U.S., Afghan and coalition forces and then return to their sanctuaries.
While the Pakistani Army takes on terrorist groups within their borders that attack them – often at great cost in Pakistani lives – they have not taken on the Haqqani Group and the Quetta Shura. We told the Pakistanis that we believe that their working to eliminate those safe havens is essential to a closer relationship between the United States and Pakistan.
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