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Skriven 2006-09-29 23:31:16 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0609292) for Fri, 2006 Sep 29
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Fact Sheet: Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strong Allies in the War on Terror
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For Immediate Release
September 29, 2006

Fact Sheet: Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strong Allies in the War on Terror


ÿÿÿÿÿ President Discusses Global War on Terror ÿÿÿÿÿ In Focus: National
Security

Today, President Bush Spoke About The Struggle Between Moderation And
Extremism That Is Unfolding Across The Broader Middle East. ÿTerrorists and
extremists are fighting to overthrow moderate governments in the region,
take control of countries, and use them as bases from which to attack
America and impose their hateful ideology on millions.ÿ Moderate leaders in
the broader Middle East are standing against these extremists, working to
secure a future of peace and freedom for their region and the world.ÿ
  þ This Week, President Bush Met With Two Courageous Leaders Who Are
    Working For Peace  President Karzai Of Afghanistan And President
    Musharraf Of Pakistan.ÿWith their help, we have killed or captured
    hundreds of al Qaeda leaders and operatives and put others on the run.ÿ
    Osama bin Laden and other terrorists are still in hiding, and our
    message to them is clear: No matter how long it takes, we will find
    you, and we will bring you to justice.

We Will Continue Working With Afghanistan_s Government To Defeat Our Common
Enemies  And Help The Afghan People Build A Free Nation That Will Never
Again Oppress Them Or Be A Safe Haven For Terrorists

In Afghanistan, We Are Listening To The Advice Of President Karzai And Our
Commanders On The Ground.ÿFollowing the shifting arguments of critics would
result in a strategy that is inconsistent and ineffective.ÿ
  þ From The Beginning, The Critics Have Said We Are Failing, But Their
    Reasons Keep Changing.ÿ In the first days of Operation Enduring
    Freedom, the critics warned that we were heading toward a "quagmire."ÿ
    Then the Taliban fell.ÿ Once operations began in Iraq, the critics held
    up the multinational Coalition in Afghanistan as a model, and said it
    showed everything we were doing wrong in Iraq.ÿ Now some of the critics
    who praised the multinational Coalition we built in Afghanistan claim
    that the country is in danger of failing because we do not have enough
    American troops there.ÿ

After 9/11, America Gave The Leaders Of The Taliban A Choice: Hand Over The
Terrorists Or Share In The Terrorists' Fate.ÿ The Taliban regime chose
unwisely, so within weeks of the 9/11 attacks, our Coalition launched
Operation Enduring Freedom.ÿ By December 2001, the Taliban regime had been
removed from power, hundreds of terrorists had been captured or killed, and
the terrorist camps where the enemy planned the 9/11 attacks were shut
down.

The Liberation Of Afghanistan Was Only The Beginning Of Our Mission In That
Country.ÿWe learned the lesson of the 1980s, when the United States had
helped the Afghan people drive the Soviet Red Army from Kabul and then left
the Afghans to fend for themselves.ÿ The Taliban came to power and provided
a sanctuary for bin Laden and al Qaeda, and we paid the price when those
terrorists struck our Nation and killed nearly 3,000 people in our midst.ÿ
  þ After 9/11, We Began The Difficult Work Of Helping The Afghan People
    Rebuild Their Country And Establish A Free Nation On The Rubble Of The
    Taliban's Tyranny.ÿWith help from the UN and Coalition countries,
    Afghan leaders chose an interim government and wrote and approved a
    democratic constitution.ÿ They held elections to choose a new President
    and more than six million Afghans defied terrorist threats and cast
    ballots to elect a new Parliament.ÿ
  þ We Have Helped Afghans Build The Security Forces They Need To Defend
    Their Democratic Gains.ÿOur Coalition has trained and equipped more
    than 30,000 soldiers in the Afghan National Army and several thousand
    more are now in training at the Kabul Military Training Center.ÿ
    Afghans in uniform are determined to protect their nation and fight our
    common enemies, and America is proud to fight alongside such brave
    allies.ÿÿÿ

The Afghan Army And Police Are Fighting Alongside A Coalition Of
Nations.ÿAt this moment, 21,000 American troops and more than 20,000
personnel from 40 countries are deployed in Afghanistan.ÿ Since taking over
the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the summer of
2003, NATO has expanded it from a small force that was operating only in
Kabul into a robust force that has taken responsibility for security in
nearly 60 percent of the country.ÿ

We Are Working To Improve Quality Of Life For Local Afghans And To Help
Extend The Authority Of The Central Government To Distant Areas Of The
Country.ÿ Since the liberation of Afghanistan, the U.S. has provided more
than $4.5 billion for reconstruction throughout the country  including
electricity, irrigation, water and sanitation, and other necessities.ÿÿ
  þ Our Coalition And NATO Forces Have Deployed 23 Provincial
    Reconstruction Teams Across Afghanistan.ÿ Teams led by Sweden, Norway,
    Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Canada, Britain, the
    Netherlands, and the United States are now bringing security and
    reconstruction assistance to distant regions of the country.ÿ To link
    those distant regions to the capital, we are building and improving
    Afghanistan_s roads.ÿ
  þ Our Coalition Is Also Working With President Karzai To Strengthen The
    Institutions Of Afghanistan's Young Democracy.ÿ

In Pakistan, President Musharraf Joined The Fight Against The Terrorists,
And America Is Grateful For His Leadership

After 9/11, President Musharraf Was Faced With A Choice: Turn A Blind Eye
And Leave His People Hostage To The Terrorists Or Join The Free World In
Fighting The Terrorists.ÿ Within two days of the attack, the Pakistani
government committed itself to stop al Qaeda operatives at its border,
share intelligence on terrorist activities and movements, and break off all
ties with the Taliban government if it refused to hand over bin Laden and
the al Qaeda leadership.

President Musharraf's Courageous Choice To Join The Struggle Against
Extremism Has Saved American Lives.ÿ His government has helped capture or
kill many senior terrorist leaders.ÿ For example, Pakistani forces helped
capture Abu Zubaydah, Ramzi bin al Shibh, and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.ÿ

Were It Not For Information Gained From Terrorists Captured With Pakistan's
Help, Our Intelligence Community Believes Al Qaeda And Its Allies Would
Have Succeeded In Launching Another Attack Against The U.S.ÿThe CIA's
questioning of these and other suspected terrorists provided information
that helped us break up a cell of Southeast Asian terrorist operatives
groomed for attacks inside the U.S., disrupt an al-Qaeda operation to
develop anthrax for terrorist attacks, stop a planned strike on a U.S.
Marine camp in Djibouti, prevent a planned attack on the U.S. Consulate in
Karachi, and foil a plot to hijack passenger planes and fly them into
Heathrow Airport and London's Canary Wharf.ÿ

We Are Helping President Musharraf's Government Establish Stronger Control
Over The Border Between Afghanistan And Pakistan.ÿ President Musharraf
understands that terrorists hide in remote regions and travel back and
forth across this border.ÿ We are:
  þ Helping equip Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps;
  þ Funding the construction of more than 100 border outposts;
  þ Providing high-tech equipment to help Pakistani forces better locate
    terrorists attempting to cross the border; and
  þ Funding an air wing with helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.

America Is Also Supporting President Musharraf As He Takes Steps To Build A
Modern And Moderate Nation, And Hold Free And Fair Elections Next Year.ÿ
President Musharraf has a clear vision for his country as a nation growing
in freedom and prosperity and peace, and as he stands against the
terrorists and for the free future of his country, America will stand with
him.

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