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Afghanistan More Stable Today Than One Year Ago

Monday, May 12, 2003
By Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service

Civil-military operations are more and more becoming the focus of coalition forces in Afghanistan. "The Afghan people have suffered for decades under several regimes, and they have been in a state of almost constant warfare," Davis said. "Today we are helping the Afghan people help themselves." Civil-military operations forces are working to improve roads, schools, water systems and medical care, all of which contribute to stability. Reconstruction leads to the creation of more jobs, "which is essential to Afghanistan's short- and long-term economic prosperity," Davis said.

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
Coalition forces in Afghanistan have "had a significant impact on the enemy," a military spokesman there said today.

"After almost 24 years of continuous conflict, Afghanistan is more stable today than a year ago by almost any metric one would care to use," said Col. Rodney Davis, public affairs officer for Coalition Joint Task Force 180.

Davis explained during a press conference at Bagram Air Base that "key indicators" – numbers of deaths, incidents, firefights and improvised explosive devices – are all down. Coalition forces have uncovered "several huge caches of weapons," he added.

"The Taliban is no longer ruling the country, and there have been no major terrorist attacks on America since 9- 11," Davis said, adding, "Hundreds of al Qaeda were killed in fighting."

Other bright points in Afghanistan's security situation include a functioning government, a successful loya jirga, or town council, in June 2002 that "allowed the Afghans at least some measure of democratic expression," and the formation of an Afghan national army.

The situation on the ground is still dangerous for coalition and Afghan forces. An Afghan soldier was killed and an American soldier injured in a firefight that occurred late May 9 into early May 10 local time, a Bagram spokesman said May 10.
(More: DefenseLINK.mil)
2003 © U.S. Department of Defense.

Dan