Jawad: With Robust U.S. Commitment, ‘Afghanistan Is Winnable,’ ‘Achieving Victory Is Easy’
Jawad: With Robust U.S. Commitment, ‘Afghanistan Is Winnable,’ ‘Achieving Victory Is Easy’
This Sunday marks the six-year anniversary of the initial U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan. In an interview with ThinkProgress, Said Tayeb Jawad, the Afghanistan Ambassador to the U.S., said the military incursion “was something that the Afghan people demanded.” He explained, “Every Afghan knows that there’s no way for us to have a better life except for the assistance and partnership of the United States.”
While emphasizing his strong support for the initial invasion and a continued presence, Jawad said there have been at least two major mistakes that have contributed to the rise in violence:
1) Underinvestment in financial and military resources. “In the past five years, there was an underinvestment in building the infrastructure in Afghanistan, including the quality of life of the Afghans.” Jawad said U.S. presence “should have been very robust from the beginning” and “assistance should have been much stronger.”
2) Failing to fight terrorism in a comprehensive manner. “From the very beginning, the mission targeted was more or less at going after individual terrorists.” Jawad argued, instead, “we should have been fighting terrorism as a phenomenon, and include in our fight not only terrorist individuals but also warlords, narco-traffickers, and many others.”
While “expectations have not been met” for the past six years, Jawad said the new leadership in Congress gives him hope for the future:
My engagement with the new leadership in Congress and the Democrats in Congress indicates that they are even more committed to pursue the war in the original front of the war against terrorism and to help out Afghanistan.
Watch it:
While repeatedly expressing his hope for a continued U.S. military and financial presence, Jawad said the “long-term solution is to help build the Afghan forces, the Afghan national army and the police force.” “It’s our own country,” he said “we would like to defend it ourselves. Give us the know-how, the skills, and the equipment and we will do it.”
“Afghanistan is winnable and achieving victory in Afghanistan is easy. The people are your partners. All we need to do is invest in building the capacity of the Afghans to defend their own country,” Jawad concluded.
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22 Responses to “Jawad: With Robust U.S. Commitment, ‘Afghanistan Is Winnable,’ ‘Achieving Victory Is Easy’”
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countdown to republican smear campaign versus jawad….
October 4th, 2007 at 3:46 pmAfghanistan is so-o-o-o-o yesterday’s news. The central front in the GWOT is Iraq. GDumbya’s dirty little war assured that fact.
And Iraq is quickly becoming yesterdays news, too. General Betray-us says the surge is working so GDumbya and Darth Cheney can set about moving the GWOT to Iran now.
October 4th, 2007 at 3:47 pmWell the Carlyle group will soon have the middle east in hand….yippeeee…snarcoff/
October 4th, 2007 at 3:49 pmBush:
October 4th, 2007 at 3:56 pm“Sorry, Jawad, we got busy fightin’ turrists, jes don’ plow them poppy fields under, and you’ll be just fine, OK?
heh heh
The original war, the justifiable one, the one that GW666 took his eye off of, the one that did have something to do with terrorism, should have been one years ago, but GW666 had his eye on Iraq all along, so it too will be a failure till we get the Dems in control of the WH and both houses.
Buck Fush
October 4th, 2007 at 3:57 pmoops…won years ago…my bad.
October 4th, 2007 at 3:58 pmAfghanistan is winnable, just send more US lives and wealth.
October 4th, 2007 at 3:59 pmi am exploring a possible opportunity to work in afghanistan, helping build a healthy, effective, sustainable business association… i hope it happens… i would certainly learn a lot and, hopefully, i could bring something of value to the country… we’ll see…
And, yes, I DO take it personally
October 4th, 2007 at 4:00 pmDon’t worry, libs will legislate away the security of Afghanistan, Iraq and all our allies around the world - they only have a lay in wait of any bad news in any of these parts of the world.
October 4th, 2007 at 4:00 pmWatch your back thou, Profmarcus. They can be wonderful, loving people and then again NOT. Becareful and be alert.
Buck Fush
October 4th, 2007 at 4:16 pmSince capturing Bin Laden, would hurt Bush a great deal, I have no doubts that the war in Afghanistan has been undermanned and underfunded.
October 4th, 2007 at 4:18 pmHmmm… Where’d my first comment go??
October 4th, 2007 at 4:18 pmIf it were so easy…..why haven’t we won?
How would we know if we do?
October 4th, 2007 at 4:18 pmGood thing “achieving victory is easy” since we have an Army full of “phony soldiers.”
October 4th, 2007 at 4:19 pm]/\] will be asking for another 150 billion be stolen from the conservatives for the other muslim welfare state.
/snarcon
October 4th, 2007 at 4:20 pmWe’ll know we’ve won when the warlords that were controlling the country before the Taliban took over are back in the opium business.
Hey! We won, let’s go home!
October 4th, 2007 at 4:22 pmwait a minute. is he talking about bin laden? Screw them! Just give us your heroin damn it. we’ll trade you seom food since you cant grow anything but heroin in that god forsaken hell hole anyways.
October 4th, 2007 at 4:26 pmGood grief. Where have we heard *this* crap before…?
October 4th, 2007 at 5:09 pmPHOTO CAPTION
Jawad demonstrates how a “robust US commitment” up his ass feels like
October 4th, 2007 at 5:20 pmAfghanistan is like yesterday’s dirty underwear! Get rid of this drivel.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:24 pm“Afghanistan is winnable […] All we need to do is invest in building the capacity of the Afghans[…]
What?
Trying to solve a problem by throwing money at it!?
This man is clearly a liberal. Were he a good conservative, he would understand the need to leave it all up to the “free markets”. He is obviously not worthy of any aid from the good ole’ US of A.
/sarcasm off
October 5th, 2007 at 1:08 amcan someone honestly show me any proof that combatting terrorism was ever on the agenda, ever?
if someone told me that the last six years was based on a strategy of proliferating terrorism i would have an easier time believing that. it would also be rather elementary to point to evidence that such a strategy is working, and working well.
October 5th, 2007 at 5:08 am