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U.S. Considers Moves to Aid Long-term Afghan Stability
Sunday, February 24, 2002
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

Rumsfeld said the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl is an example of how well organized the terrorists are. "We saw a well-planned, well- executed taking of a hostage and the use of television to dramatize it," he said.

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
Combating Al Qaeda and the Taliban government that provided safe haven for the terrorists is just the first step in ending the long-term strife in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press and CBS's Face the Nation, Rumsfeld said U.S. as well as U.N. officials and coalition partners are considering how to help the Afghan people create lasting peace, stability and security.

The interim government led by Hamid Karzai, he said, wants to create a national military force that will provide that security. An alternative would be to expand the International Security Assistance Force led by the British that is patrolling the Afghan capital of Kabul.

"The Pentagon currently has an assessment team that's going to make a report to me on how long they think it would take for the Karzai government to develop a national force, what it would cost, and who could assist with the training," Rumsfeld said. "We have a big interest in seeing that we're able to give them a good start toward having a secure and stable situation."

The secretary also said U.S. defense officials have not seen any hard evidence in recent weeks that terrorist leader Osama bin Laden is alive. "If he's alive, he's very busy hiding and he is having a dickens of a time communicating with his people," Rumsfeld.
(More: DoD News Source)
2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

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