...:: Good Morning Afghanistan :..: صبح بخیر افغانستان ::...

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06:12:2009

Barry Salaam : Thank you very much; Mr. S.G of NATO, my name is Barry salaam calling you from Good Morning Afghanistan Radio (GMA). Public Service Radio on the national network of R.A thank you, welcome on GMA, let me start by asking about the troops surge that pres. Obama has announced what difference this decision will make to the overall situation in Afghanistan in your view.

Rasmussen: First and foremost, it will improve the security. I would like to stress that we are in Afghanistan to help you; the people of Afghanistan find the peace and prosperity you deserve. And these additional troops will make a significant difference to all Afghans by helping to protect the people to train more Afghan Army and Afghan police and to work with your leaders. So, that they can improve your government services and push for more development in the cities and in the local communities.

Barry Salaam: People of Afghanistan sometimes are concerned that a troop surge will mean a long presents of the foreign troops in the country and the militants actually use that opportunity to show that the foreign troops here have invaded, what's your message to the people of Afghanistan in that concern?

Rasmussen: We are not in Afghanistan as occupiers, our troops are working side by side with your police and your army, we are working together as partners in the fight against the enemies of Afghanistan, the enemies of Afghanistan who plant bombs and terrorize the Afghan people so we are in Afghanistan to protect you and we will of course not stay for ever. Our goal is to handover responsibility for the security to the afghan army and the afghan police as soon as the afghan army and the afghan police are strong enough to take on responsibility for the security, so I can assure you that we will not leave Afghanistan behind we will stay as long as it takes to finish our job . But we will do that in cooperation with you and ensure that Afghanistan will be a peaceful place to live in.

Barry Salaam: We understand that there is a meeting of foreign ministers of NATO in Brussels , what is the outcome, what will be the outcome of that meeting and how does that relate with Mr. Obama's new strategy?

Rasmussen: I expect the outcome of the meeting to be pledges from a big number of allies and partners, promises that they will contribute an additional number of troops to our operation in Afghanistan. Your foreign minister Spanta will also participate in the meeting and we will discuss with him, how we can strengthen our cooperation with them to improve security to handover responsibility to the Afghan security forces and to promote development in Afghanistan.

Barry Salaam: Thank you, there has been a lot of talk in the Afghan media about the differences that exist between the NATO countries and specially there has been talks between the United States and the great Britain for example and meanwhile there seems to be a lack of equal commitment on the part of all NATO members, for example some of the NATO members like Canada has kind of warned that it might leave Afghanistan in 2011, is there any plan to improve coordination and cooperation among the NATO allies in terms of Afghan issues?

Rasmussen: I can assure you that there is still a very strong commitment from all allies and partners to our operation in Afghanistan. Of course in free democratic societies you will always have a discussion on how to best organize our operation in Afghanistan but we are now 43 countries in the international alliance and I expect many of them to announce an additional number of troops to our operation in Afghanistan . According to my latest information at least 20 countries will announce an increased contribution to our operation in Afghanistan and this shows that there is still a very strong commitment. Having said that I also have to stress the need for strengthened efforts in Afghanistan . We expect the Afghan government to strengthen its fight against corruption, to strengthen its fight against drug trade and in general make sure that the Afghan people receive basic service that they deserve.

Barry Salaam: The eighteen month of deadline for the start of the troop withdrawal the Mr. President Obama has announced has created mixed feelings. Some people feel that this is a good signal because by then the government of Afghanistan will be enable to take on some of the responsibilities some others have said that this is a sense of bad signal because that will strengthen the moral of the enemy, what is your take on that?

Rasmussen: Once again, I would like to stress that we will not run for the exit. We will not leave Afghanistan and the Afghan people behind, we are with you, and we are in Afghanistan to protect you we are in Afghanistan to help you take on responsibility yourself . so I hope to see steady progress in the development of the capacity of the Afghan security forces so we will now train and educate afghan soldiers and Afghan police and hopefully your police and your soldiers will then be able to take on responsibility and the international soldiers can then move to a more supportive role and that is what it is about. We will stay as long as necessary to secure your country but our goal is of course, that the Afghan people can take responsibility for your own country, we will not stay forever.

Barry Salaam: There have been a lot of criticisms among the afghan population that there has been a lot of money spent on military side. For example, the new surge will cost thirty billion dollars, but there has been less investment in the civil sector to improve the lives of people and obviously economy plays a big role here. What's your message to the people of Afghanistan here, what they should expect in this respect in the coming one to two years?

Rasmussen: We will do more to ensure economic progress in Afghanistan. There is no military solution to the problems in Afghanistan. We need to strengthen efforts in civilian development so you can foresee more international assistance with them to improve life quality for the Afghan people in the coming years and let me remind you that during recent years we have achieved a lot of progress we have built many schools. Today seven million Afghan children go to school out of which one third girls are. We have ensured that 85 percent of the Afghan people have now access to basic health services; a lot of health clinics have been built. We have constructed thirteen thousand kilometers of roads which is a very important thing to stimulate the economic development. We have also succeeded in combating opium cultivation according to the latest statistics, the cultivation of opium has decreased by more than twenty percent during the last year and in exchange afghan farmers and peasants have started to grow alternative crops so that they can ensure a good standard of living. So we have achieved a lot of progress within civilian development and we will step up our endeavors in that respect in the coming years.

Barry Salaam: Mr. Secretary General, if in the last moment you have any specific message to the people of Afghanistan , good morning Afghanistan welcomes you to talk directly to people of Afghanistan .

Rasmussen: My message to the afghan people is that we are with you. You can trust us. We are partners; we will help you to govern your own country. Now we sent more troops to protect you but also to train afghan soldiers and afghan police so that you can take on responsibility for your own security. So I appeal to all of you that you help us because at the end of the day it will also help yourself.

Barry Salaam: Mr. Rasmussen, secretary general of NATO, thank you very much for being on good morning Afghanistan .

Thank you very much!