NATO Speech: Press conference by Afghan Minister of Defence, Abdul Rahim Wardak

NATO HQ

13 March 2006

Press conference

by Afghan Minister of Defence, Abdul Rahim Wardak
and Ambassador Adam Kobieracki

Multimedia
	Press conference with Minister Wardak (13.501/MP3)

MODERATOR: We have today Ambassador Adam Kobieracki, who is our Assistant Secretary General for Operations, and the Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak. He is leading a delegation of high-ranking Afghan officials, including the Deputy Foreign Minister, who is sitting here with us as well. And the delegation.and the Minister have met with the Secretary General, and he's also going to attend a NAC meeting tomorrow in ISAF format. That means with the nations that are not members of NATO, but participate in the ISAF mission.

Ambassador Kobieracki, you have the floor, please.

ADAM KOBIERACKI (NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations): Thank you very much, but I understand my role here as being rather a host and nothing more, so I pass the floor immediately to General Wardak, Minister Wardak.

ABDUL RAHIM WARDAK (Afghan Defence Minister): Okay, thank you very much indeed for having this opportunity. I would like to say that we have travelled to Brussels to discuss with our NATO allies and supporters about strengthening and continuation of our genuine relations and we have tried to express our deep appreciation and gratitude for all the help and assistance and cooperation which has been extended to our country for the last three, four years.

What we have accomplished, it has been a credit to NATO and our other allies. Otherwise we would not have been where we are today.

Our relation with NATO is of utmost importance and significance to Afghanistan and we have every earnest desire to build on the successes which we have accomplished and achieved so far. And we are looking forward to the expansion of NATO to Stage 3 and as far as the Afghan government is concerned, it will do everything in its ability to support this expansion and provide every possible facility to contribute to a smooth transition to Stage 3.

We are also welcoming the future unification of coalition and ISAF Command under the control and command of NATO, which is a very welcoming development. And there is no doubt that a lot has been accomplished, but still there are challenges ahead, and I think we have every confidence that with our joint efforts we will be able to overcome those challenges and we will be able to contribute furthermore, not only to the security and stability in Afghanistan, but to the regional stability and the normalcy, harmony and peace in the world as a whole.

So we are looking forward for our further discussions and we hope that we will be going back with a better understanding of our challenges, and having a proper plan how to go forward in the future.

And now I will be glad to take any questions instead of continuing to talk.

MODERATOR: Could you introduce yourself, please. Leon.

Q: Leon Bruneau, Agence France-Presse. A question for the Minister, a very simple question. What, in fact, is the security situation right now in Afghanistan? How would you qualify it?

WARDAK: Now, I would like to say that recently there has been a rise in the violence, and the enemy have lost the capability to encounter our forces in the field, so they are more resorting to terror tactics and going against the softer targets. As a result of that it looks like there is a deterioration in the security situation, while I would say it is too early to reach to that conclusion, and the Afghan government, together with the ISAF and coalition forces, has taken all the necessary measures to further prevent the continuation of the present situation.

And we are trying... we have already taken action to improve our intelligence capabilities, to reinforce our security forces, to improve also governments and reconstructions which a combination of all the measures will help to improve the situation.

MODERATOR: Okay, Shada please.

Q: I'm Shada Islam from the German News Agency DPA. I was wondering if you could tell us about your relationship with Pakistan at the moment. President Musharraf has denied charges by President Karzai that Pakistan is not doing enough to try and catch the Taliban and al-Qaeda remnants in Wazirastan and other areas. Will you be talking to NATO about that? And what is your main concern about relations with Pakistan at the moment? Thank you.

WARDAK: No, actually you see our foreign policy and also our military national strategic is built in developing good relations with the neighbour and with the rest of the world. That is the main pillar of our policy and we would like always to have our own military strategies, defence in the character, and we would like to build on the relations with... especially with our neighbours, and we want to come with the common solution for common problems, which both countries of the neighbouring countries are facing. And we have every intention to develop our economic, social and political relations with the countries of the regions, and we do believe that that will be a positive instrument to bring security, not only into our country, but peace and stability to the whole region.

Based on that, I think we will continue our efforts to establish better relations with Pakistan. We would like to have more cooperation on the borders and to have coordinated efforts to overcome the present problem. This has been agreed in that meeting and as far as the Afghan government is concerned, we have followed the same path, and we will be continuing to extend our hand towards our Pakistani neighbours to participate in this war, which it is not only against our country, but their own peace and stability is also in serious jeopardy.

MODERATOR: The Iranian News Agency.

Q: Nawab Khan, from the Iranian News Agency IRNA. So first of all, what are the relations now... how are the relations progressing between Afghanistan and Iran? And what is your view on the Iran's nuclear dispute which is going on between Iran and the Western World?

WARDAK: Actually, I mean, we... we as a whole, I think, we have tried, as I mentioned, to have better cooperations with our neighbour. That's why we have this three-power... tripartite arrangement with Pakistan and also with Iranians. We... as for the counter and (inaudible)... cooperation is concerned, I think there is some sort of another tripartite cooperation with Iran, and as far as we are concerned we will still continue, I mean, to have good relations and... Everybody, I think the policy of the whole world is that for the peaceful use of energy as acceptable to the whole international community. And we are in support of the international community.

Q: National News Agency of Ukraine Minister, how you assess the quality of the troops you have under your command? And are you satisfied with the quality of training these troops are getting from international instructors? And the second question, for Ambassador, if possible, how many Afghan army soldiers do you expect to take part in the expansion to the south?

WARDAK: Thank you. I think as far as the quality is concerned, from day one, when we have recreated the Afghan National Army our goal has been always to have an army which is democratically accountable, transparent, it is nationally oriented, and it is ethically balanced, it is professional disciplined and morally... and morally disciplined and professionally skilful and operationally cohesive.

That has been our goal. And making an army it is not an easy process, but as far as the fighting quality of the Afghan National Army is concerned, I... they have operated jointly both with ISAF forces, and also with the coalition forces. We have received nothing but compliments and commendation about the ANA. And there has been no fallback as far as their fighting quality is concerned.

But to make it a really professional and well-disciplined, that will take some time. It is... or to revive the tradition and culture of a professional institution that we are going ahead with it, and we have made positive steps in this direction and I think eventually we will have a force which will be comparable to any other unit, but naturally the fighting capability, that is in our blood and I think we might be far superior than some other armies as far as that is concerned, and our history is witness to that.

And we do receive... we have instructors from different nations. For example, our NCOs are trained by British, the soldiers are trained by Americans. There is another course which the French are running for staff course, and... But it does not mean that every country is... and there is also a mechanism which is standardizing all the training together, and my GT(?) was somewhere there. He was actually exaggerating that they have the best training at the moment.

KOBIERACKI: Thank you. Of course you can ask questions. I just didn't want to bother you with, I would say, NATO bureaucrat's comments, when you have... for the beginning, when you have such a distinguished visitor from Afghanistan.

How many troops of ANA we expect to be deployed in the Stage 3. You have to ask the Minister for numbers. Of course, whatever we'll do in the south will be in support of Afghani institutions, Afghani government and we will cooperate with ANA. Actually, during our earlier talks Minister confirmed that some contacts(?) are being deployed also that area. It's not just ANA by the way. It's different parts of Afghan security forces.

But we're expanding to the south, and we're concerned about the number of our troops. Otherwise we... I mean, the Afghani forces will be deployed there, and we will cooperate, but in terms of numbers it's the Minister or his General Staff.

Q: Can you mention the number?

KOBIERACKI: The number for Stage 3, for the south.

WARDAK: For Stage 3 the numbers of... the British naturally because they are going to send their engineers also and some other units to come up with the number will go between 4,000 to 5,000 and then it will be reduced. And as far as the Dutch forces are concerned in Oruzgan province it will be about... between 1,200 to 1,400. So together with that, in these two provinces, we will be deploying... we are going to deploy by the time the British forces have reached to Helmand. We will be deploying a full brigade of the Afghan National Forces in order for these forces, which are definite police border security, the highway police and also the local police. They are also under training. We call them National Police, the one which are centrally trained and equipped.

So those forces will also move to both of the provinces. So those are roughly the numbers which I told you and also I think there is going to be a really strong contingent of Canadian forces with the number I don't remember, but it is over a 1,000, between 1,500 to 2,000, something like that. And there will be some smaller contingents of Australian, New Zealand and also a battalion of the Red Scorpio Battalion of Romania. All of these will be deployed in Stage 3, which this will be much bigger force which is already in existing. In some of these provinces the number of the troop altogether will go up 10 to 15 times. So I think that to be worried about the security situation, I think will not be true. I think with such a formidable force there will be... the security situation will calm down considerably.

In the meantime, for the last three or four months we are... the Afghan government by itself has taken steps to improve security, to improve governments and to improve reconstruction in these troubled area, which already have some impact in the improvement of the situation.

KOBIERACKI: If I may just add one thing. You've just seen the best proof of how closely we cooperate because the Minister gave you figures for both ANA deployments and ISAF deployments for Stage 3.

Actually as far as ISAF numbers are concerned, it really depends on the (inaudible)..., as Minister has said. Some nations are sending engineers first, then they are replaced by other troops. But altogether, in sum, in addition to what Minister has said, whereas at the moment you have somewhat less than 10,000 ISAF troops deployed, as the expansion goes on this number will go over 15,000.

Q: Hadja Labib, RTBF TV. A question for the Defence Minister. I would like to know your point of view about this quite new phenomenon in Afghanistan. I mean, the suicide bombers, and especially about what's happening this weekend. We heard Mr. Mojadidi says that the suicide bomber who tried to kill him was in league with Pakistan. What is your point of view?

WARDAK: Actually, you see it is the suicide bomber is a new phenomena. We Afghans don't believe that suicide... committing suicide is a way to take such cowardly actions. Out of all the suicide bombing which have taken place in Afghanistan, only in one case has confirmed it has been Afghan, and the rest, every one individual one has been a foreigner. And still we believe since there is no local support for such action if we increase our security level in the borders and also in some of the districts, which are neighbouring the borders, we will be able to deal with this new development of suicide bombing.

And also the better intelligence in the cooperation of the local people to inform us will be another instrument to prevent suicide bombing. In the meantime, I mean, whatever the source is, if that source is also cooperate no to send them, I think that will be a better solution.

As far as our Senate leader, and also he is the head of the council which is responsible for reconciliation of former moderate Taliban. He has been actually, as far as I know, he's been targeted, not because of head of the Senate, but because he has been very effective in bringing back a lot of Taliban, ex-moderate Talibans, the one who have not committed atrocities, back to the country, and he has proven to be very effective. And because of that he was targeted. We already had reports about that he was a target.

And since this event has taken place just yesterday, which I was here, so I will not have the details, the full details to be able to elaborate further.

MODERATOR: Mark.

Q: Mark John from Reuters. Defence Minister, there seems to be a wide perception among Western military commanders that international troops will have to be in Afghanistan for a long time. We're talking about the long-term, possibly ten years, that sort of timeframe. What's your view on that, please?

WARDAK: No, actually you see our main goal is that we Afghans ourselves, we have defended the country for 5,000 of years against very big invasions and aggressions, which includes many superpowers also, and still we have survived.

Now also I think that it is our duty to defend that country and provide security. And we ourself are ready to sacrifice for that. We have already in the eighties, we have given more than two million casualties to defend our country. Now also our expectation from the international community is to help us to stand on our own feet. And once that is achieved I doubt that there will be need for the deployment of large formation of international troops in Afghanistan, but in the meantime we would like to have enduring relations with organizations like NATO, which will serve as a deterrence against conventional threats to our country.

But that will not mean that they will have to have thousands of troops in Afghanistan. That's both political commitment and a symbolic presence. And also an ongoing enduring relations which will provide us the security which we require.

So this length of the large formation of NATO in Afghanistan will directly will be connected with the development of the Afghan national security forces, which the work is going on really fast. We already are taking over more of jobs in different parts of the country, and we would like also to take on the physical security ourself and our international forces will have the supporting and mentoring role gradually that will allow the gradual reduction of international forces in Afghanistan.

Q: (inaudible)...the timeframe, please?

KOBIERACKI: Actually, you see you can't... it will be really difficult to come up with exactly the number of years. But we have already committed the Afghan National Army based on the Bonn conference that... in the next four to five years I think we will be fully and operational with that numbers, but it will depend also on the security situation in the area, which cannot be predicted exactly, but we are hopeful and also confident that there will be considerable improvement in the security situation.

Q: Paul Ames, from the Associated Press. Minister, could you tell us how you see NATO's role when it moves into the south? NATO's role in helping your forces eradicate the opium business in the southern sector of Afghanistan?

WARDAK: Actually we have already, without the NATO forces in the area, we have launched, I think since a week, the eradication of opium in Helmand province. And we have deployed additional police forces and also we have deployed additional ANA forces, and I have just received a report about half an hour ago that the operation is going very well, and they have eradicated thousands of acres of land and there hasn't been a major incident.

So we couldn't wait because you see, opium cultivation it's seasonal. In certain time of the year you have to get rid of them. Otherwise, once it's become close to be harvested it's become much more difficult. So the operation in Helmand and a lot of other provinces of Afghanistan, as far as the eradication is concerned, it is launched. And from the beginning we were expecting... we were not expecting that NATO forces will be directly involved. Earlier, I think they would have played a supporting role north, any other role(?).

MODERATOR: Nick, please.

Q: Nick Fiorenza, Janes Defence Week, I just had a flashback there. I wrote a couple of years ago in Defence News, in fact, that the Tajik... I think it was the Tajik president suggested that Afghanistan become a PfP member. Would you like to join Partnership for Peace?

WARDAK: We would like to join an enduring relation with NATO, if it is... We don't know that... our situation and our circumstances and conditions are different than Tajikistan and many other countries which have already joined Partnership for Peace. So we would like to have these relations in a form which will best suit our particular situation in conditions. But...