Senior Officials Welcome Troops Home From Iraq

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md., Dec. 20, 2011 – President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, welcomed the final group of U.S. troops home from Iraq here today.

As the senior leaders looked on, Carter lauded Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the last commander of U.S. Forces Iraq, and his troops for their performance of duty.

“Today is a historic day as we commemorate the return of the colors under which our armed forces fought so ably and proudly in Iraq and mark the end of the second longest war in U.S. history,” Carter said.

“Those of you who have arrived this morning bearing the flag of U.S. Forces Iraq represent all those who have served -- active duty, reserve, National Guard and civilians.”

Carter said the returning troops’ performance and sacrifices have earned them their nation’s gratitude.

“We, who greet you here at [Joint Base] Andrews, represent a grateful nation,” he said. “We welcome you. We’re proud of you. We’re in your debt. As the president has so eloquently said, ‘Your service belongs to the ages.’”

The deputy defense secretary acknowledged the thousands of service members who died or were wounded while serving in Iraq.

“To the families of the 4,500 troops who made the ultimate sacrifice, to the more than 30,000 troops that bear the wounds of this war and to their families, we lack the words to say what you feel on this day,” Carter said.

“Because try as we may, we can never fully know it,” he continued. “But we do know what your sacrifice means to us, to this nation, and to a world that still depends so much on America for its security.”

Carter praised U.S. forces for their flexibility in accomplishing the mission in Iraq.

“This was a war that asked American troops to be great warriors and also much more,” he said. “Trainers, development experts, road builders, and ultimately, partners in helping the Iraqi people build a better and more hopeful future.”

The chairman also welcomed home the troops, noting they were just in time for the holidays.

“Today, we bring home the colors to United States’ soil,” Dempsey said. “At the same time, we embrace many of our own back into the fold, just in time for the holidays.”

“This is a time to reflect on a generational journey,” he continued, “a journey of over 20 years that took us through two wars with Iraq to a new beginning in our relationship with Iraq.”

American forces’ accomplishments in Iraq have provided the Iraqi people an “unprecedented opportunity to live in peace and prosperity inside Iraq, within the region, for their children,” Dempsey said.

“Because of the courage and resilience of our military and our partners -- those in our own government, throughout the world and in Iraq -- 30 million Iraqis are free today,” the chairman said.

“It's a time to recall what we have achieved, what we learned and how we made a difference,” he added. “And it's a time to remember those who served and those we lost. We all have our memories.”

The deputy defense secretary said the returning troops are beginning “a new chapter of their lives.”

“Some will go to college on the post-9/11 GI Bill. Many others will seek to enter or re-enter the workforce,” Carter said.

“Last week at Fort Bragg, the president underscored our commitment to help our veterans successfully make this transition home. As he said, ‘After years of rebuilding Iraq, we want to enlist our veterans in the work of rebuilding America.’”

Carter reaffirmed the Defense Department’s commitment to ensuring veterans and their families are taken care of.

“On behalf of Secretary [of Defense Leon E.] Panetta, I want you to know that this department, in partnership with agencies across the federal government, will do everything in our power to make good on that promise,” he said.

“For nearly nine years, you answered America’s call,” Carter added. “It’s now America’s turn to answer yours.”

Austin: ‘It’s Great to be Back’ From Iraq

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2011 – A small but star-studded ceremony today at Joint Base Andrews, Md., marked the return of U.S. Forces Iraq’s last troops.

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter joined family members of about 30 returning service members to welcome those final few troops -- including Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the last commander of U.S. Forces-Iraq -- home.

Five days ago in Baghdad, Austin presided over the ceremony marking the end of the war in Iraq. Today, he said, “It is great to be back in the United States of America.”

Austin was part of the war in Iraq’s first wave nearly nine years ago, in March 2003, when as the 3rd Infantry Division’s assistant commander for maneuver he ordered lead elements over the Kuwaiti border into Iraq.

From September 2010 until today, he oversaw what he called “one of the most extraordinary feats in our military’s history:” the end of mission and return of U.S. troops and equipment from Iraq.

For several months, U.S. troops have worked tirelessly to reposition what were then 50,000 service members and 2 million pieces of equipment remaining in Iraq, Austin noted.

“Sunday, the last of our troops crossed the border from Iraq to Kuwait, with their equipment,” he said. “They did it in an orderly fashion, [and] they did it ahead of schedule.”

The military-led mission in Iraq has come to a successful conclusion, Austin said, and the safe return of USFI’s unit colors, “capably carried and passed on from commander to commander since 2003,” represents the commitment that “helped make this great day possible.”

“It is my privilege to represent them,” the general added. “I could not be more proud of our men and women in uniform, who are unquestionably the preeminent military force in the world.”

Austin credited Iraq veterans and their coalition partners with removing a brutal dictator, persevering through the darkest days of the insurgency, and providing the Iraqi people with opportunities for freedom “they have not seen in their lifetime.”

The general noted the team of State Department diplomats remaining in country to build on the United States’ strategic relationship with Iraq.

“Their professionalism and their spirit of teamwork were instrumental in making our interagency efforts so successful,” he added.

Austin thanked the families and friends of returning veterans for their love and support, and said the nation owes the families of the nearly 4,500 service members killed in Iraq “a debt of gratitude it can never repay.”

“Please know that we share in your loss, and that you will always be a part of our family,” he said.

Austin thanked the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, civilians and coalition partners who served in Iraq for “a job extremely well done.”

“I am truly humbled by your service and your many, many sacrifices,” he added.

Austin saluted those wounded in the Iraq war, noting their fighting spirit “serves as a source of inspiration for us, and you will always have a place in our formation.”

Austin offered wishes for “a very joyous holiday season” to all Iraq war veterans and their loved ones.

“Please know that your sacrifices were instrumental in liberating an oppressed people, in providing them an opportunity to enjoy a better way of life,” he said. “You have set the conditions for democracy to take root in a region that is critically important to the United States of America … again, thank you for a job extremely well done.”

Obama: U.S., Iraq Forge New Relationship

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2011 – With the last U.S. troops leaving Iraq, a new relationship between Iraq and the United States will stand front and center, President Barack Obama said at the White House today.

Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki spoke at a news conference as the last 5,500 U.S. troops in Iraq prepare to leave. When Obama took office there were 150,000 American forces in the country.

“This is a season of homecomings, and military families across America are being reunited for the holidays,” Obama said. “In the coming days, the last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq, with honor and with their heads held high.”

The president and the prime minister discussed the continuing U.S.-Iraqi relationship, and plans to “normalize” relations between the two countries. Obama called for “an equal partnership based on mutual interests and mutual respect.”

Iraq has made tremendous progress since the coalition toppled Saddam Hussein from power in 2003. There have been free and fair elections, Iraq’s economy is growing faster even than that of China, and Iraqi security forces “have been in the lead for the better part of three years, patrolling the streets, dismantling militias, conducting counterterrorism operations,” Obama said.

“Today, despite continued attacks by those who seek to derail Iraq's progress, violence remains at record lows,” Obama said. “And Mr. Prime Minister, that's a tribute to your leadership, and to the skill and the sacrifices of Iraqi forces.”

As the war ends, Iraq will not stand alone, the president said.

“Today, the prime minister and I are reaffirming our common vision of a long-term partnership between our nations that is in keeping with our Strategic Framework Agreement, and it will be like the close relationships we have with other sovereign nations,” Obama said. “Simply put, we are building a comprehensive partnership.”

Obama and Maliki discussed how the United States could help Iraq train and equip its forces the same way America helps other nations around the world. “Given the challenges we face in a rapidly changing region, we also agreed to establish a new, formal channel of communication between our national security advisors,” the president said.

The U.S.-Iraq relationship, he said, will boost regional security.

“Just as Iraq has pledged not to interfere in other nations, other nations must not interfere in Iraq,” Obama said. “Iraq’s sovereignty must be respected.”

The drawdown in Iraq has allowed America to refocus resources and achieve progress in Afghanistan, put al-Qaida on the path to defeat and to better prepare for the full range of challenges that lie ahead, the president said.

Maliki thanked Obama for America’s commitment to his country.

“Anyone who observes the nature of the relationship between the two countries will say that the relationship will not end with the departure of the last American soldier,” Maliki said through a translator.

The United States and Iraq worked together to defeat terrorism and al-Qaida in Iraq, the prime minister said. Now the two countries can work together in peace to put in place the Strategic Framework Agreement “in the economic sphere, as well as in educational and commercial and cultural and judicial and security cooperation fields,” Maliki said.

Iraq still needs U.S. help to bulk up its security forces -- especially in areas of training and equipping. Iraq has ordered 18 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and plans to order another 18.

Obama saluted the sacrifices of U.S. and Iraqi service members, noting the two countries will continue to work together toward a promising new future.

“A war is ending, a new day is upon us,” the president said. “And let us never forget those who gave us this chance, the untold number of Iraqis who have given their lives, more than 1 million Americans -- military and civilian -- who have served in Iraq, nearly 4,500 fallen Americans who gave their last full measure of devotion, tens of thousands of wounded warriors and so many inspiring military families.

“They are the reason we stand here today,” Obama continued. “And we owe it to every single one of them -- we have a moral obligation to all of them to build a future worthy of their sacrifices.”

After the news conference, Obama and Maliki travelled to Arlington National Ceremony, Va., to pay respects to the fallen. Maliki placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. They were joined by Vice President Joe Biden and Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, U.S. commander in Iraq.

Biden Expresses Gratitude to U.S., Iraqi Forces

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2011 – Joined by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden thanked U.S. and Iraqi armed forces for their sacrifices, commitment and success.

“I also know you gentlemen will acknowledge that America sent you the very best our country has to offer -- our young men and women, … but also their leaders,” Biden told the Iraqi leaders, praising the leadership of U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James F. Jeffrey and Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of U.S. Forces Iraq.

The vice president surveyed the U.S. and Iraqi troops assembled in Al Faw palace, all “bound together by a shared sacrifice in the service of both their countries.”

Given a mission “as complicated and as challenging as any in our history,” they adapted with the changing situation on the ground tackled everything they were asked to do, he said.

“You succeeded,” he said. “You helped defeat a tyrant, helped beat back violent extremists, and enabled the rise of a new democratic nation, and gave the Iraqi people a chance, at long last, for a better future -- a future they deserve.”

Working side by side, the U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces “have laid the foundation for a long-term, strategic partnership between our nations and also for an Iraq that, against all odds, can serve as a source of stability not only for its people, but here in the region, and for years to come,” he said.

Biden noted how far the situation in Iraq has progressed, and he acknowledged the troops’ “heroic work” that made it possible. “Because of you and the work those of you in uniform have done, we are now able to end this war,” he said.

The United States has kept its promises – to remove all U.S. troops from Iraqi cities, to end its combat mission last August and reduce its forces in Iraq to 50,000, and now, to remove all troops by the year’s end, Biden noted.

Biden shared Maliki’s observation that some have questioned whether Iraqi security forces would be ready to assume full security responsibility for their country.

“But the Iraq security forces proved to be more than ready,” he said. “You met the challenge. Throughout the downturn of United States forces and coalition forces, you kept your people safe. And violence has remained at its lowest level since 2003 -- because of you.”

Now comes a time of transition, Biden said, as the United States and Iraq explore ways to expand their relationship for the future, calling it a new chapter and a fresh start that both the Iraqi and American people want and deserve.

The strategic framework agreement between Iraq and the United States will guide this relationship, with broad cooperation across wide areas he said, noting that unlike the security agreement, it does not expire.

It represents “a fundamentally different type of relationship, grounded in civilian cooperation between equal sovereigns,” he said, and a long-term comprehensive relationship between the two nations.

“It means America will remain deeply engaged here in Iraq, and throughout the region,” he said. The United States will remain a loyal partner, he added.

Biden offered high praise for U.S. service members and Iraqi security forces for paving the way for a new generation of Iraqis to face a hopeful future with decreased violence.

“It was the sacrifice and bravery and professionalism of all of you assembled before me in uniform that made it possible,” he said. “And it will not and should not be forgotten -- either in Iraq, or in my home country of the United States of America.”

He paid special tribute to the 4,486 who made the ultimate sacrifice, and more than 30,000 who were wounded in Iraq.

“We honor their sacrifice, as well as yours, and we take immense pride and success in what you have done,” he told the assembly, noting the nation’s responsibility to care for its veterans.

“We owe you,” he said. “The only sacred obligation our nation has is to care for those who we send to war, and care for them when they come home.”

As the last of U.S. forces return home this month and their mission ends in Iraq, Biden acknowledged that the threats they confronted haven’t disappeared. He expressed confidence, however, that the Iraqis are ready to confront them.

“Iraqi security forces have been well trained [and] prepared, and you are fully capable of meeting the challenge,” he said. “And Iraq’s emerging, inclusive political culture will be the ultimate guarantor … of this stability.”

Biden challenged the Iraqis to seize the opportunity to provide their people a normal, prosperous future, knowing that the United States remains a committed partner.

“Our forces are leaving with their heads held high,” he said. “But the hard-won ties between our two nations, pray God, will live on.”

Biden Trip Marks New Alliance with Iraq

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2011 – Troops may be leaving Iraq by year’s end, but meetings yesterday between Vice President Joe Biden and Iraqi leaders promise continuing civilian engagement between the two sovereign nations after the end of the War in Iraq, a senior administration official said in Baghdad.

After co-chairing a meeting of the U.S.-Iraq Higher Coordinating Committee with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Biden held separate meetings with Maliki, President Jalal Talabani and Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi.

“They covered a broad array of issues in these meetings, including the transition to a civilian lead in Iraq for the United States [and] the security relationship going forward,” the official told journalists traveling with the vice president.

“They talked about the resolution of some of Iraq’s remaining international issues,” he added, including obligations under Chapter 7 of the Charter of the United Nations placed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of and war with Kuwait, and its current relationship with Kuwait.

Biden and the Iraqi leaders, the official said, also discussed regional issues, including those involving Syria, Turkey and Iran.

On the topic of Iran, the vice president “made clear something that we’ve made clear repeatedly, which is, one, we fully expect Iraq to have a relationship with Iran,” the official said.

“There’s a long border and a long history [between the countries],” the official added, “and that is fully understood. But what is not acceptable and not understood would be to in any way allow Iran to use our presence in Iraq as a target.”

The United States has committed in the past not to use Iraq as a staging ground to act against other countries, he said, and that includes Iran.

“Reciprocally,” he added, “it is fully our expectation that the government of Iraq not allow Iraq to be used as an area to target U.S. personnel.”

Biden and the Iraqi leaders also discussed Arab-Kurd relations, internal security -- especially the need to keep pressure on violent extremist groups -- and Maliki’s visit in Washington with President Barack Obama later this month.

“All of this is very powerful evidence that the United States is not disengaging from Iraq,” the official said. “Rather, the nature of our engagement is changing from what has been a military lead to a civilian lead.”

The United States has “moved, as the vice president put it, from the security agreement that governed our military operations in Iraq to the strategic framework agreement, which is the basis for this comprehensive new relationship.”

As is the case at other embassies around the world, the official added, an Office of Security Cooperation has been established in Iraq to help Iraqis acquire and then learn how to use military equipment they buy from the United States.

In Iraq, that office will include 157 people assigned to the U.S. embassy and under the authority of the ambassador, he said, and some who might come in on individual contracts for two or three months at a time to help the Iraqis train on U.S. equipment.

“What we’re talking about going forward as possibilities of training beyond the Office of Security Cooperation includes things like … doing ongoing training of Iraqis outside of Iraq in other countries [and] integrating Iraqis into regional exercises,” the official added.

Today at Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory, Iraq, Biden spoke at an event hosted by the Iraqi government and held to honor the sacrifices of U.S. and Iraqi forces. "History will record that the liberation of our country was not only an important turning point in Iraq, but it was an important beginning for the region," Talibani said, referring to events of the Arab Spring.

Maliki thanked former President George W. Bush for signing the U.S.-Iraq status of forces agreement, which established the parameters for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. He also thanked Obama for seeing the agreement through.

"Because of you and the work those of you here have done, we are now able to end this war,” Biden said, adding that the Iraqi people have not and will not yield again to any kind of external domination.

Biden was presented with a medal called a “shield of commitment," as were Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commanding general of U.S. Forces Iraq, Jeffrey D. Feltman, assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, and ambassadors from other countries who fielded coalition forces.

After the ceremony, Biden met privately with troops for photos before traveling to Erbil in northern Iraq, 50 miles east of Mosul.

There Biden met with Kurdish Regional Government President Masoud Barzani at the official’s ceremonial residence before boarding his aircraft for Ankara, Turkey, the first stop on a four-day trip to Turkey and Greece.

Joint Statement Affirms Strong U.S.-Iraq Partnership

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2011 – The United States and Iraq are beginning a new phase of a partnership that reflects Iraq’s needs and includes a robust security relationship, Vice President Joe Biden said today in Baghdad.

He and Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki delivered remarks before and after today’s meeting of the U.S.-Iraq Higher Coordinating Committee, which issued a joint statement on the nations’ historic opportunity to build a relationship through security, trade, education and culture, law enforcement, environment and energy.

The committee is part of the Strategic Framework Agreement, signed in 2008 to affirm both nations’ desire to establish long-term bonds of cooperation and friendship.

"We are embarking on a new path together, a new phase in this relationship," Biden said. "That partnership includes a robust security relationship based on what you decide -- what you decide -- you think that relationship should be.”

The vice president added, “We will continue our discussions with your government over the substance of our security arrangements, including areas of training, intelligence and counterterrorism."

The meeting was held in a large room at the governmental palace. Biden and al-Maliki sat next to each other at the head of a long, rectangular conference table, joined by 20 members of the Iraqi delegation and 15 members of the U.S. delegation.

The U.S. delegation included Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commanding general of U.S. Forces Iraq; Antony J. Blinken, Biden’s advisor for national security policy; Jeffrey D. Feltman, assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs; and Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman.

"We're going to start a new phase of friendship,” al-Maliki said after the meeting.

The U.S.-Iraq strategic framework "will establish a relationship based on mutual respect and bilateral interests,” he said, expressing his hope that Iraq can, “be a brother, a friend for other countries in this area.”

Biden noted that al-Maliki pushed for the coordinating committee to have a broader scope than security.

Today, the vice president said, the two delegations pledged to create a separate committee for coordinating security and defense cooperation.

The United States has completed nearly 1,800 projects in Iraq's health sector valued at $800 million, including the renovation of 133 primary health centers, Biden said. The United States, he added, also has invested in Iraq’s transportation infrastructure, air-traffic-control network and railroads.

A lot of work remains to make such capacity building a success, Biden said.

Iraq's development, he added, "will bring stability to the region. That is our sole interest in Iraq."

The committee’s joint statement, issued after the meeting, addressed cooperation on a range of topics, including security and defense, politics and diplomacy, trade and finance, law enforcement, culture and education, technology and environment and transportation.

As part of the new phase of the relationship, U.S. military forces are drawing down, Biden noted. “There will still be security concerns, but we are confident your government is fully capable of handling those internal security concerns," he said.

To bolster mutual trade and finance, the United States participated in the recent Baghdad International Trade Fair for the first time since 1988. The fair showcased 85 American businesses and organizations and built on the success of the 2009 Business and Investment Conference held in Washington.

The United States also supports the Iraqi government’s efforts in the financial sector by providing technical expertise needed to develop private banks and microfinance institutions.

U.S. assistance and professional support is helping develop and professionalize the Iraqi corrections system through judicial training programs for Iraqis through the Judicial Development Institute.

Through the Police Development Program, the United States will continue providing advisory and technical assistance to the Iraqi police, including an exchange program that will bring groups of Iraqi police here for leadership development over the next three years.

While in Iraq, Biden also plans to meet with President Jalal Talabani, Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi and other Iraqi political leaders, and to offer remarks at an event to commemorate the sacrifices and accomplishments of U.S. and Iraqi troops.

The visit, Biden’s eighth as vice president, comes as U.S. forces are completing their drawdown in Iraq. All U.S. troops are slated to leave by Dec. 31, in accordance with the 2008 security agreement between the United States and Iraq.

Rather than leaving Iraq, “the United States is going to deepen our engagement with you,” the vice president said, adding that he looks forward to al-Maliki's visit to Washington in mid-December.

Biden Arrives in Iraq as Drawdown Enters Final Month

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2011 – Vice President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to Baghdad yesterday to meet with Iraqi leaders and thank U.S. service members serving the final month of Operation New Dawn, a White House official announced.

Biden is slated to co-chair a meeting of the U.S.-Iraq Higher Coordinating Committee, the official said. He also is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi and other political leaders.

The vice president also will offer remarks at an event to commemorate the sacrifices and accomplishments of U.S. and Iraqi troops.

The visit, Biden’s eighth as vice president, comes as U.S. forces are completing their drawdown in Iraq. All U.S. troops are slated to leave by Dec. 31, in accordance with the 2008 security agreement between the United States and Iraq.

President Barack Obama and Maliki reaffirmed this arrangement in October, recognizing the end of the U.S. mission in Iraq as the start of a new phase in the U.S.-Iraq relationship, the White House official said.

What that new long-term partnership will look like will be the subject of this week’s Higher Coordinating Committee meeting. Biden and Iraqi leaders are expected to discuss joint cooperation in politics and diplomacy, trade and finance, energy, services, technology, the environment, transportation, law enforcement and the judiciary, and defense and security, the official said.

Army Brig. Gen. Bradley A. Becker, deputy commanding general for U.S. Division Center, said last week in Baghdad that he is confident Iraq’s security forces will be up to the challenge of maintaining security after U.S. forces depart.

Iraq’s security forces “have been in the lead since Operation New Dawn. … They have shown that they are capable,” he said during a Nov. 22 “DOD Live” bloggers roundtable.

Becker spoke of the positive changes he has witnessed in Iraq.

“As I look back on the last nearly nine years of what we’ve accomplished,” he said, “the one thing that really stands out -- at least for me -- is that we’ve given the Iraqi people opportunities that they didn’t have in the past: the opportunity to choose their own government, a developing economy that benefits all the Iraqi people and, most importantly, an opportunity for a better future.”

Biden Meets Karzai, Visits Troops in Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2011 – Vice President Joe Biden today spoke with Afghan national and local leaders as he continued what White House officials described as a visit to assess progress and reinforce the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan.

Biden arrived in Afghanistan yesterday on an unannounced visit. Today, he met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and toured a military training site near Kabul with Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, senior commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Speaking to the press after lunching together and before a longer one-on-one meeting, Biden and Karzai both said the visit had given them an opportunity for “good conversation.”

After the meeting, Biden echoed the administration’s recent Afghanistan review, saying “we have arrested Taliban momentum here in some very important areas, but these gains … we know are fragile and reversible."

Sustaining those gains will require strong Afghan security forces eventually taking the lead and for Pakistan to make more of an effort to root out terrorist enclaves along the border, the vice president said.

“We must work with our Afghan partners to improve the provision of basic services, to promote transparency and accountability, to strengthen the institutions, and advance the efforts of reconciliation with the Taliban of which we spoke for some time; the Taliban who’ve rejected al-Qaida and renounce violence and are prepared to embrace the Afghan constitution,” Biden said.

"There are many hard days that lie ahead," he added.

The administration's plan to begin drawing down U.S. troops in July 2011 and the U.S.-Afghanistan-NATO agreement for Afghan forces to assume the security lead in 2014 offer a "viable path going forward," Biden said.

As U.S. and coalition forces move into the security transition phase, Biden said, "It is not our intention to govern or to nation-build. As President Karzai often points out, this is the responsibility of the Afghan people and they are fully capable of it."

The United States will continue to assist the Afghan government at its request, he said.

Biden paid tribute to Karzai's leadership and "the extraordinary personal courage" he showed in leading the country in 2002.

“We have moved into a new phase … in Afghanistan,” Biden said. “A transition to a full Afghan lead that begins this year and will conclude in 2014 as we prepare a framework for our future bilateral relations.

“This is President Obama’s vision for the future,” he added. “It’s a vision expressed by our allies at the Lisbon Conference. And I believe, based on our conversation today, it clearly reflects the vision of President Karzai.”

Earlier in the day, the vice president visited the Kabul Military Training Center, where U.S. and coalition troops train Afghan soldiers in a variety of basic and officer training.

In the afternoon, Biden traveled to Forward Operating Base Airborne in Wardak province, described in pool reports as “a sprawling fortress, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.”

Accompanied by Petraeus, Biden met with Wardak officials and coalition forces to discuss the success of coalition and Afghan operations to eliminate the insurgent threat in the region.

Biden spoke to Wardak governor Halim Fidai as the meeting began.

"Governor, how are you?" Biden said, shaking hands. "I've heard really good things about you.”

After the meeting, the vice president shook hands with several service members working at the forward operating base and handed out some vice presidential coins. He asked each troop where he or she was from and thanked them for their service.

Biden then flew by helicopter to Bagram Air Base.

Biden to Assess Progress in Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2011 – Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Afghanistan today for a previously unannounced visit that White House officials said is designed to assess progress and reinforce the U.S. commitment.

Biden is scheduled to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, to speak to U.S. service members and civilians, and to visit an Afghan army training center.

This is Biden's first trip to Afghanistan as vice president. He was greeted by U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry; Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO military commander in Afghanistan; and three Afghan officials.

A White House official said the vice president will assess progress toward the transition to Afghan-led security and to demonstrate U.S. commitment to a long-term partnership with Afghanistan. He also will meet with Petraeus and Eikenberry to get an "update from them on the situation on the ground," the official added.

Biden and Karzai are scheduled to have lunch together during the trip, and are scheduled to participate in an expanded meeting with officials from both countries.

Biden last visited Afghanistan in 2009 as vice president-elect.

Biden Addresses Afghanistan, 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2010 – “We are making progress on all fronts” in Afghanistan, although “more in some areas than others,” and remain on track to begin the U.S. troop drawdown in July, Vice President Joe Biden said this morning on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“We’re starting it in July of 2011, and we’re going to be totally out of there, come hell or high water, by 2014,” Biden said. He offered assurance that the initial withdrawal “will not be a token amount” of troops, and likely will follow the model used to draw down U.S. forces in Iraq.

Citing the Afghanistan strategy review issued this week, Biden reported “great progress” in the counterterrorism effort that has significantly degraded al-Qaida and the Taliban, particularly their leadership. Lagging behind, he said, is progress on the counterinsurgency front – eliminating terrorist safe havens in Pakistan and building a stable Afghan government.

President Barack Obama has made clear he wants to see these efforts accelerated, Biden said. “We are working very hard” on them “and making some progress,” he reported.

Biden said the intelligence community is united in its belief that Osama bin Laden and his central al-Qaida organization no longer have the capacity to pull off a 9/11-type attack on the United States. However, he acknowledged that al-Qaida-related affiliates outside the Afghanistan-Pakistan area have demonstrated their ability to plan and conduct “much smaller bore but yet deadly attempts to go after the United States.”

“We have significantly degraded and knocked off a lot of the main planners and organizers and trainers,” Biden said. “Does that mean we have succeeded? No. Does that mean we are in much better shape than we were a year ago and two or three? Yes.”

Turning to other issues, Biden welcomed the Senate’s vote yesterday to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that banned gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

By repealing it, the U.S. military joins seven of its major allies around the world, along with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and most of the American people in recognizing that sexual orientation has no impact on military capability, he said.

In fact, the repeal will benefit the military by allowing a group that had been barred from serving in uniform to contribute. “We will not be squandering the abilities of combat soldiers, as well as interpreters who happen to have a different sexual preference, who happen to be gay or happen to be lesbian,” Biden said.

Regarding the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Biden expressed confidence that the Senate has the votes needed to ensure ratification.

Obama, Gates, Mullen and other U.S. leaders have pressed Congress to pass the measure before recessing for the holidays.

Biden cited broad, bipartisan support for the treaty by current and former U.S. leaders who recognize it as “essential for U.S. security.”

The hold-up on the vote, he said, revolves around “legitimate” but groundless fears that it will jeopardize missile defense plans. He cited “concerns about whether we are going to make good on our commitment to deploy all four phases of the missile defense system in Europe.”

Biden offered an emphatic: “We are.”

As the interview turned to budget items, Biden said he and the president disagree with some of the earmarks but recognize that they may have to accept some of them to get funding where it’s needed, including the military effort in Afghanistan.

"It could be very well that you end up in a situation where you say, "Okay, in order to be able to have the funding for the continuation, the support for the troops in Afghanistan, we have to accept an earmark. And that’s what the Congress sends us,” he said. “Are we gonna veto a bill that would jeopardize troop safety? Probably not.

“If we say we have to support a levee in Mississippi in order to make sure my kid who’s out in the middle of Iraq or Afghanistan gets what he needs, I’m gonna say, ‘Yeah, I don’t want to do it. But I may have to do it,’” Biden said. “It depends on the proportions. It depends on what’s at stake.”