U.S. Approves of Pakistan Fight Against Taliban, Pentagon Spokesman Says

The United States fully supports Pakistani operations against the Taliban and other terror groups, a senior Defense Department spokesman said yesterday.

At a news conference today, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell also discussed U.S. efforts to avoid inflicting civilian casualties in Afghanistan while fighting an enemy that intentionally places civilians in peril.

The United States has been pressing Pakistan for months to act as Taliban fighters increased their control over portions of the federally administered tribal areas and in the Swat Valley, Buner and Dir areas of Pakistan.

Morrell called the operations in the area the largest counterinsurgency fight in Pakistan's history. "They have shown a persistence in waging it, and we want to be nothing but encouraging of them continuing to do so," he said during a Pentagon news conference.

Pakistani officials estimate that between 800,000 and 900,000 people in the region have become refugees. "The end is to protect innocent civilians caught in the crossfire," Morrell said. "So people are encouraged to leave war zones, so that they do not become unwitting victims of the Pakistani military's efforts to go after terrorists who have shown complete and utter disregard for the safety and well-being of their neighbors and other innocent civilians in their midst."

Pakistan is setting up refugee camps to handle those fleeing the fighting, and the United States and other nations are prepared to send aid.

In Afghanistan, civilian casualties in Farah remain in the news. Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry visited an area where close-air support was used against Taliban terrorists when U.S. aircraft dropped ordnance in support of an Afghan security forces operation.

"The initial indication from things looks as though the close-air support was very measured, and that there was a great deal of care to ensure that ... it was proportional to the threat faced by the forces on the ground," Morrell said.

Morrell called the attacks – and possible civilian casualties – the sad reality of war against the Taliban.

"We face an opponent that shows complete and utter disregard for human life; that's willing to behead innocent civilians; that's willing to put other innocents in harm's way so that they can advance a propaganda campaign and paint us as ... the aggressor, as the one who does not care for the well-being of the Afghan people," he said. "That couldn't be further from the truth."

The United States regrets the loss of any innocent lives in Farah or other battles, Morrell said. No other military takes the measures to minimize civilian losses that the U.S. military does, he said.

"And our opponent, perhaps more than almost any enemy that we've faced in modern times, shows complete and utter disregard" for civilian lives.

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

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Gates: U.S. Won't Allow Taliban Resurgence in Afghanistan

As the United States reviews its strategy in Afghanistan, one thing is certain: The United States won't let the Taliban threaten the Afghan government and re-establish safe havens there, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on National Public Radio yesterday.

"I would say that at a minimum, the mission is to prevent the Taliban from retaking power against the democratically elected government in Afghanistan and thus turning Afghanistan potentially again into a haven for alQaida and other extremist groups," Gates said.

The secretary conceded that the situation in Afghanistan "began to go downhill again" in 2005 and 2006. That's when the Taliban started taking advantage of safe havens on the Pakistani side of the Pakistan-Afghan border and began "to re-infiltrate into Afghanistan and create security problems."

The decision to send an additional 17,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan and reassess the strategy there focuses on this challenge. "We've really just been responding to that," Gates said. "Clearly, we all still have our work cut out for us."

Although NATO is committing additional troops to provide security for the August elections, the secretary said he was not sure if they'd remain for any prolonged period.

"The allies have sent all the troops that they have committed to send. It hasn't been that they have failed to follow through on their commitments," he said.

The problem is that "the need is greater than the commitments that have been made to this point," he said. "And so we would like more help."

But the biggest shortfall, he said, isn't on the military side. "Really, where we need the help is on the civilian side, whether it's agricultural specialists or people who can help with governance, economic development and so on," he said.

Gates reiterated the need for achievable near- and mid-term goals in Afghanistan, with benchmarks to assess the effectiveness of the mission there. These, he said, will "measure whether we are actually making progress and getting to a better place in Afghanistan in terms of security, in terms of credibility of the government" and how the U.S.-Afghan partnership is working.

These, he said, aren't the same goals the United States hopes to see in 10, 20 or 30 years -- "a completely democratic, fully economically developed ally."

He referred to this state as "Valhalla," a mythical utopian state, but conceded, "I think that's a little ways in the distance."

Turning to Iraq, Gates said he's "on the same page" with President Barack Obama regarding the drawdown of U.S. troops there. "The fact is that if there is no new agreement with the Iraqis, there will be zero U.S. troops in Iraq after the end of 2011," he said.

But Gates conceded that the United States may maintain a "very modest-sized presence" after the status-of-forces agreement expires in December 2011 to provide training, equipment assistance and intelligence support. That would happen, he said, only if the Iraqis request it, and if Obama approves the request.

As the discussion turned to intelligence, Gates defended the work of intelligence professionals who have become the targets of frequent pot-shots. "They really do a very good job of telling you what's going on right now around the world," he said. "But forecasting – the truth of the matter is they're not a lot better than anybody else. And I think policymakers need to understand that."

Gates noted the challenge of getting a true picture of what's taking place in Iran and other potential hot spots around the world.

"Obviously, some targets are much more difficult than others," he said. Iran, North Korea and Cuba are all very difficult targets.

"The truth of the matter is, for decades our intelligence hasn't been terrific on some of these places," Gates said. "I think there's a lot of effort to try and make it better. But there's still a lot of uncertainty out there."

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

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World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder Welcomes U.S. Pullout of 'Shameful' UN Anti-Racism Conference

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), Ronald S. Lauder, warmly welcomed the decision by the U.S. Government to withdraw from the upcoming United Nations conference on anti-racism ("Durban II") in Geneva over concerns that it would become a repeat of the failed event held in Durban in September 2001. "Every day it becomes clearer that the Durban Review Conference is not about combating racism, but about promoting anti-Israel and anti-Semitic propaganda within the framework of the United Nations. The Obama administration and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton deserve praise for sending a strong warning signal to the UN. Unfortunately, the efforts by the U.S. administration to ameliorate this process have not succeeded," Lauder said.

He added: "This conference should not be attended by the governments of democratic countries because it undermines the very purpose of the UN and does great damage to this important institution." The WJC president expressed hope that other governments would also stay away from the Geneva conference. "We hope that EU and other countries will follow the lead of Canada, Israel, and the United States. It would be a travesty if the UN's anti-racism conference were to become a platform for propagating hatred and intolerance. No government should take part in such a shameful event," the WJC president said.

Lauder also pointed out that countries with abysmal human rights records were in the forefront of activities leading up to the Durban Review Conference. "Surely no good can result from a conference where countries such as Libya, Iran, Pakistan and Syria are dictating the agenda. The plights of the victims of true racism and discrimination are being ignored. Sudan is not condemned for the mass killings in Darfur, Iran has been given a pass for its cruel treatment of Bahais and other minorities, as well as its mass executions of students and dissidents. Pakistan is not being held accountable for introducing Sharia law in order to appease the Taliban. These and other countries are attempting to protect their extremist ideologies under the disguise of banning the 'defamation of religion' while at the same time refusing to condemn Holocaust denial," Ronald Lauder said, adding that "the World Jewish Congress will urge world leaders to not participate in the Durban Review Conference."

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Member of Afghan Taliban Sentenced to Life in Prison in Nation's First Conviction on Narco-Terror Charges

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A member of an Afghan Taliban cell was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to two terms of life in prison on drug and narco-terrorism charges, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division announced.

Khan Mohammed, 38, was ordered by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to serve the two life sentences concurrently as well as 60 months of supervised release, served consecutively, for each of the two counts of conviction following the prison term. Mohammed was convicted on May 15, 2008, after a seven-day jury trial on one count of distribution of one kilogram or more of heroin knowing and intending that it be imported into the United States and one count of narco-terrorism, or the distribution of a controlled substance (in this case heroin and opium) in order to provide something of pecuniary value to a person or group that has engaged or is engaging in terrorist activity. The conviction represented the first time a defendant had been convicted in U.S. federal court of narco-terrorism since the statute was enacted in March 2006.

Mohammed, an Afghan national, was arrested on Oct. 29, 2006, near Jalalabad, Nangahar Province, Afghanistan. Mohammed waived extradition and was brought from Afghanistan to the United States in November 2007.

"A violent jihadist and narcotics trafficker, Khan Mohammed sought to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan using rockets," said Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Matthew Friedrich. "Today's life sentences match the gravity of the crimes for which he was convicted."

"The conclusion of Khan Mohammed's prosecution demonstrates DEA's ability and determination to go to the far corners of the world to bring to justice narco-terrorists who seek to harm Americans," said DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. "Today's strong sentence in this groundbreaking case is the result that can be expected by those who support terrorism by trafficking in narcotics."

The evidence at trial established the following:

The investigation began in August 2006 when a concerned Afghan farmer (testifying under the pseudonym "Jaweed") approached Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents through local Afghan law enforcement. He provided them with information that the Taliban in Peshawar, Pakistan, had attempted to recruit him to conduct a rocket attack on the Jalalabad Airfield, a facility used jointly by U.S. and NATO forces in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. The Taliban identified their local operations coordinator as Khan Mohammed, who was then a village elder in the Chaprahar District of Nangarhar Province, and with whom Jaweed was familiar.

Jaweed, agreeing to wear a recording device, met with Mohammed, who discussed prior attacks he had committed on government vehicles and facilities, confirmed that he was aware of the plan to attack the airfield, and discussed with Jaweed acquiring rockets and other munitions to conduct attacks on Americans, other Westerners and those Afghans who collaborated with them, stating "[t]he Americans are infidels and Jihad is allowed against them. If we have to fire [the missiles] toward the airport, we will do it and if not the airport, wherever they are stationed we will fire at their base too. I mean we have to use the mines too. God willing, we and you will keep doing our Jihad." Frequently during later conversations, additional references were made by Mohammed concerning the need to obtain rockets, meetings planned with other Taliban members, and the need to eliminate "infidels," a term Mohammed used to identify Americans, British, and other coalition forces, as well as Afghan citizens who assisted them. Evidence introduced at trial also proved that Mohammed previously engaged in similar terrorist rocket attacks against Afghan government targets.

During their initial interviews of Jaweed, the DEA agents were told that Mohammed had previously been involved in opium and heroin trafficking. This was later confirmed by Mohammed during several recorded conversations. Over this series of recorded conversations, Mohammed agreed to act as a broker for the purchase of opium, selecting the opium seller and negotiating on Jaweed's behalf.

In mid-September 2006, Mohammed accompanied Jaweed to an opium dealer's house, where, on videotape shown at trial, Mohammed was seen inspecting opium, handling negotiations and assisting Jaweed in the purchase of 11 kilograms. On later learning that the opium was intended for conversion into heroin to be imported into the United States, Mohammed replied, "[G]ood, may God turn all the infidels to dead corpses."

After purchasing the opium, Mohammed expressed his willingness to also sell heroin, particularly since it would be going to the United States. As Mohammed stated at various times, "Jihad would be performed since they send it to America," and "[m]ay God eliminate them right now, and we will eliminate them too. Whether it is by opium or by shooting, this is our common goal..." At the request of the DEA, Jaweed approached Mohammed to purchase heroin. On Oct. 18, 2006, Mohammed was seen on videotape shown at trial, in the presence of his four-year-old son, distributing two kilograms of heroin to Jaweed.

According the evidence presented at trial, the Taliban are an ultraconservative, Islamic militia that has continued to mount an insurgency against the Afghan government since it was removed from power in Afghanistan by Coalition forces in late 2001. According to court documents, as early as 1999, when the Taliban controlled much of Afghanistan, the United States recognized that they were facilitators of terrorism. DEA agents testified at trial that the Taliban has taken on a central role in every stage of opium/heroin production and transportation, relying on it as a principal source of funding for its activities. One agent testified that more than 50 percent of DEA cases have a definitive Taliban dimension.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Matthew Stiglitz, Deputy Chief for Litigation Julius Rothstein and paralegal Arianne Tice from the Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. The investigation was led by the DEA, in close cooperation with Afghan law enforcement.

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Text of a Letter from the President To The Speaker Of The House Of Representatives And The President Pro Tempore Of The Senate

December 16, 2008

Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

I am providing this supplemental consolidated report, prepared by my Administration and consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148), as part of my efforts to keep the Congress informed about deployments of U.S. combat-equipped Armed Forces around the world. This supplemental report covers operations in support of the war on terror and in Kosovo.

THE WAR ON TERROR

Since September 24, 2001, I have reported, consistent with Public Law 107-40 and the War Powers Resolution, on the combat operations in Afghanistan against al-Qaida terrorists and their Taliban supporters, which began on October 7, 2001, and the deployment of various combat-equipped and combat-support forces to a number of locations in the Central, Pacific, European, Southern, and Africa Command areas of operation in support of those operations and of other operations in our war on terror.

I will direct additional measures as necessary in the exercise of the right of the United States to self-defense and to protect U.S. citizens and interests. Such measures may include short-notice deployments of special operations and other forces for sensitive operations in various locations throughout the world. It is not possible to know at this time the precise scope or the duration of the deployment of U.S. Armed Forces necessary to counter the terrorist threat to the United States.

United States Armed Forces, with the assistance of numerous coalition partners, continue to conduct the U.S. campaign to pursue al-Qaida terrorists and to eliminate support to al-Qaida. These operations have been successful in seriously degrading al-Qaida's training capabilities. United States Armed Forces, with the assistance of numerous coalition partners, ended the Taliban regime and are actively pursuing and engaging remnant al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The total number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan is approximately 31,000, of which approximately 13,000 are assigned to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The U.N. Security Council authorized ISAF in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1386 of December 20, 2001, and has reaffirmed its authorization since that time, most recently for a 12-month period from October 13, 2008, in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1833 of September 22, 2008. The mission of ISAF under NATO command is to assist the Government of Afghanistan in creating a safe and secure environment that allows for continued reconstruction and the exercise and extension of Afghan authority. Currently, more than 40 nations contribute to ISAF, including all 26 NATO Allies.

The United States continues to detain several hundred al-Qaida and Taliban fighters who are believed to pose a continuing threat to the United States and its interests. The combat-equipped and combat-support forces deployed to Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the U.S. Southern Command area of operations since January 2002 continue to conduct secure detention operations for the enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay.

The U.N. Security Council authorized a Multinational Force (MNF) in Iraq under unified command in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1511 of October 16, 2003, and reaffirmed its authorization in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1546 of June 8, 2004, U.N. Security Council Resolution 1637 of November 8, 2005, U.N. Security Council Resolution 1723 of November 28, 2006, and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1790 of December 18, 2007, set to expire on December 31, 2008. Under Resolutions 1546, 1637, 1723, and 1790, the mission of the MNF is to contribute to security and stability in Iraq. These contributions have included, but have not been limited to, assisting in building the capability of the Iraqi security forces, supporting the development of Iraq's political institutions, improving local governance, enhancing ministerial capacity, and providing critical humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to the Iraqis. The U.S. contribution to the MNF fluctuates over time depending on the conditions in theater as determined by the commanders on the ground; the current U.S. contribution to the MNF is approximately 152,035 U.S. military personnel.

In furtherance of our efforts against terrorists who pose a continuing and imminent threat to the United States, its friends and allies, and our forces abroad, the United States continues to work with friends and allies in areas around the globe. These efforts include the deployment of U.S. combat-equipped and combat-support forces to assist in enhancing the counterterrorism capabilities of our friends and allies. United States combat-equipped and combat-support forces continue to be located in the Horn of Africa region.

In addition, the United States continues to conduct maritime interception operations on the high seas in the areas of responsibility of all of the geographic combatant commanders. These maritime operations have the responsibility to stop the movement, arming, or financing of international terrorists.

NATO-LED KOSOVO FORCE (KFOR)

As noted in previous reports regarding U.S. contributions in support of peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, the U.N. Security Council authorized Member States to establish KFOR in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244 of June 10, 1999.

The original mission of KFOR was to monitor, to verify, and, when necessary, to enforce compliance with the Military Technical Agreement between NATO and Serbia (formerly the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), while maintaining a safe and secure environment. Today, KFOR deters renewed hostilities and, with local authorities and international police, contributes to the maintenance of a safe and secure environment that facilitates the work of the United Nations Interim Administrative Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the European Union (EU)-led International Civilian Office, and the evolving EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX).

Currently, 25 NATO nations contribute to KFOR. Eight non-NATO countries also participate by providing military and other support personnel to KFOR. The U.S. contribution to KFOR is about 1,500 U.S. military personnel, or approximately 9 percent of KFOR's total strength of approximately 15,500 personnel.

The U.S. participating forces in KFOR have been assigned to the eastern region of Kosovo but also have operated in other areas of the country based on mission requirements. For U.S. KFOR forces, as for KFOR generally, helping to maintain a safe and secure environment remains the principal military task. The KFOR operates under NATO command and control and rules of engagement. The KFOR currently coordinates with and supports UNMIK within means and capabilities and has provided similar assurances of cooperation to EULEX. The KFOR provides a security presence in towns, villages, and the country-side; and organizes checkpoints and patrols in key areas to provide security, to protect all elements of the population living in Kosovo, and to help instill a feeling of confidence in all ethnic communities throughout Kosovo.

NATO continues periodically to conduct a formal review of KFOR's mission. These reviews provide a basis for assessing current force levels, future requirements, force structure, force reductions, and the eventual withdrawal of KFOR. NATO adopted the Joint Operations Area plan to regionalize and rationalize its force structure in the Balkans.

The UNMIK international police and Kosovo Police Service (KPS) have primary responsibility for public safety and policing throughout Kosovo. The UNMIK international police and KPS also have assumed responsibility for guarding some patrimonial sites and operating border crossings. The KFOR supports these police forces when requested and augments security in particularly sensitive areas or in response to particular threats as events on the ground dictate.

I have directed the participation of U.S. Armed Forces in all of these operations pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct the foreign relations of the United States and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive. Officials of my Administration and I communicate regularly with the leadership and other Members of Congress with regard to these deployments, and we will continue to do so.

Sincerely,

GEORGE W. BUSH

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