Defense Leaders Provide Middle East Update

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – Steady progress is being made in dealing with challenges in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pentagon reporters in a briefing here today.

Topics included the situation between U.S. ally Turkey and the internally embattled Syria, a rescheduled U.S.-Israeli military exercise, an upcoming DOD visit to Iraq, and continuing discussions with military leaders in Pakistan.

“We continue to be concerned about developments in Syria,” Panetta said, referring to ongoing violence between the brutal authoritarian regime of Bashar Assad and determined opposition groups, and the movement of Turkish military assets to the Syrian border after the June 22 shootdown by Syrian forces of a Turkish Phantom F-4 fighter and its two-member aircrew.

The secretary said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is engaged in discussions with U.S. allies in the region, including Turkey.

“Turkey is one of our allies in that region,” Panetta said. “We continue to be in close discussions with them with regard to how we best approach the situation in Syria.”

Dempsey said he had a recent conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel, adding, “He's taking a very measured approach to the incident. … He and I are staying in contact.”

Also in the region, the chairman said the United States and Israel have rescheduled a joint military exercise called Austere Challenge.

Dempsey said a final decision on the exercise date will be determined during a current visit to Israel by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy James N. Miller.

In Iraq, where the level of violence increased this month, Panetta said discussions continue with the Iraqis on the threat from al-Qaida terrorists.

“We've seen increased violence [and] … we share the concern of the Iraqis with regard to that increased violence,” the secretary said, adding, “We're going to continue to work with them to … improve their ability to be able to deal with those kinds of threats.”

Before leaving Iraq, he added, U.S. forces worked in great cooperation on this problem.

“We've continued to work with their security forces but we think it's really important now that we try to bring that cooperation even closer together to make sure that these kinds of threats are dealt with directly,” Panetta said.

Dempsey said Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of U.S. Central Command, had high-level consultative talks with the Iraqis earlier this year and Panetta hosted a May 23 meeting at the Pentagon with Iraqi Acting Minister of Defense Saadoun al-Dulaymi.

“What we're doing is charting a way ahead, actually, on the potential for exercises, the things we talked about at the closing ceremony” in December 2011, the chairman said, adding that he plans a visit to Iraq later this year.

Discussions also continue between American and Pakistani officials over the reopening of Pakistan supply routes -- called ground lines of communication, or GLOCs -- into Afghanistan, and the breakup of Pakistan safe havens for militant groups like the Haqqani network, Panetta said.

“We continue to have a line of communication with the Pakistanis to try to see if we can take steps to reopen the GLOCs,” Panetta said, adding, “The good news is that there continue to be those discussions.”

Tough issues still need to be settled, the secretary said.

“I think the important thing right now is that both sides, in good faith, keep working to see if we can resolve this,” he said.

Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, met recently with Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the secretary said.

“I think [Allen] made clear that both the United States and Pakistan have to work together to deal with the threat from the Haqqanis,” Panetta said, adding that Kayani seemed receptive to U.S. concerns.

“After all,” the secretary said, “they, too, have been victims of terrorism. They lost 17 Pakistanis on a patrol to the [Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan] … so we have a common enemy. It would make sense if we could work together to confront that common enemy.”

Turkish Fighter Shootdown Concerns Panetta, Press Secretary Says

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2012 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta shares the State Department’s deep concern over the June 22 shootdown by Syrian forces of a Turkish F-4 fighter and two Turkish pilots, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.

After speaking with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on June 24, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton condemned what she called a “brazen and unacceptable act.”

“It is yet another reflection of the Syrian authorities' callous disregard for international norms, human life, and peace and security,” Clinton said.

“The [Syrian] action speaks for itself,” Little told reporters, “and we believe that it was, to use Secretary Clinton’s words, a ‘brazen act’ … and the Syrian regime needs to answer for it.”

Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said the Defense Department has seen nothing to indicate the shootdown wasn’t deliberate.

After the shootdown, Little said, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke by phone with his Turkish counterpart, Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozelto, to express concern over the loss of the Turkish pilots.

Navy Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, also spoke with one of his Turkish counterparts, Little said, adding that Greenert traveled to Turkey June 19-22 to foster the relationship between U.S. and Turkish naval forces.

Turkey has called for a consultation of the North Atlantic Council under Article 4 of the NATO treaty. The meeting will take place tomorrow in Brussels. Under Article 4, any ally can request consultations whenever they believe their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.

The council includes ambassadors of all 28 NATO allies, and Little said the discussion will be led by the State Department, represented by Ambassador Ivo Daalder.

“We will be present at the discussions in Brussels with our NATO allies,” the press secretary added, “and beyond that, it’s really for our counterparts to discuss what may or may not happen.”

The Defense Department maintains a very strong military relationship with its Turkish allies, Little said, and department officials will “continue to have discussions with them about the equipment they need to defend themselves.”

The press secretary said Defense Department officials stand ready to assist the Turkish government in the rescue and recovery effort for the missing pilots “if they request such help.”

NATO Conference Focuses on Post-2014 Afghanistan

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

BRUSSELS, April 18, 2012 – NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen today emphasized support to Afghanistan beyond 2014 in remarks opening a conference of the alliance’s defense and foreign ministers here.

Rasmussen noted the NATO summit in Chicago is a month away. “We have important work to do today and tomorrow to help set the stage,” he said.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force has been engaged in Afghanistan since 2001, and Rasmussen said the alliance will continue to support that nation beyond 2014.

Meetings of NATO defense and foreign ministers today and tomorrow will shape the decisions on Afghanistan that the alliance’s heads of state and government will make in Chicago, Rasmussen said, including completing the transition to Afghan security lead by the end of 2014 and what form NATO’s contributions in Afghanistan will take after that transfer.

Rasmussen noted Afghan security forces defeated coordinated enemy attacks April 15 in and around Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul.

“This shows that the Afghan security forces can deal with dangers and difficulties, and they are getting stronger every day,” the secretary general said.

He said his clear message to Afghanistan’s enemies is that they can’t just wait NATO out. “As we gradually draw down,” he added, “a still stronger Afghan security force is taking charge to protect the Afghan people against brutality and inhumanity.”

NATO will maintain a training mission and financial support to Afghan security forces beyond 2014, Rasmussen said. “We must make sure we maintain the gains made with so much investment in lives and resources,” he added.

Even in tough financial times, the secretary general said, supporting the Afghan forces is “a good deal in financial and political terms.”

NATO remains committed to its strategy and its long-term partnership with Afghanistan, Rasmussen said.

“This is our message to the people of Afghanistan, to the enemies of Afghanistan, and to the neighbors of Afghanistan,” he said, “because it is in the interest of our own security.”

Before a morning meeting of defense ministers this morning, Rasmussen said their discussion would center on alliance “smart defense” efforts to acquire capabilities jointly that the alliance will need to counter future threats. Smart defense, he said, “means setting the right priorities. We must specialize in what we do best and focus resources on what we need most. And we must work together to deliver capabilities that many nations cannot afford on [their] own.”

At the Chicago summit next month, Rasmussen said, NATO will demonstrate its commitment “to continue to invest political, military and economic capital in a transatlantic alliance that is fully fit to deal with the security challenges of today and tomorrow.”

In a news conference following the morning session, he announced ministers have prepared an interim missile defense plan for Europe, with details to be announced in Chicago.

NATO defense ministers also discussed a “connected forces” initiative to be finalized at the Chicago summit, he added. This agreement will strengthen member nations’ coordinated education, training and technology efforts, the secretary general said.

Financial support to Afghan forces after 2014 is expected to cost $4 billion per year, Rasmussen added, though details of NATO nations’ contributions to that total have not been finalized.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton are both here for the NATO meetings, and are scheduled to hold a joint news conference later today.

U.S. Central Command to Lead Pakistan Investigation

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2011 – U.S. Central Command will take the lead in investigating the Nov. 26 cross-border attack that killed Pakistani soldiers, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.

Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, requested that Centcom lead this review, the press secretary said.

“ISAF did as you would expect -- assign an initial assessment team to look into the incident,” Little said, adding that more information from Centcom “will probably be forthcoming later today.”

While Centcom has not yet officially announced its role in the investigation, the press secretary said, “I think you can expect the investigation to look at the full range of factors that contributed to this tragedy on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and it will be broad, expansive and thorough.”

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta offered their deepest condolences for the loss of life in a joint statement issued over the weekend and said they are closely monitoring reports of the incident.

“The secretary has been monitoring these events very closely with military leadership in Afghanistan and here in the United States,” Little said, but has not yet reached out the Pakistani officials.

Clinton, Allen and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, each called their Pakistani counterparts, Little added, noting that Dempsey and Allen each spoke with Pakistan army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Cameron P. Munter, U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, also met with Pakistani government officials in Islamabad.

“The Pakistani government knows our position,” Little said, “and that is that we do regret the loss of life in this incident and we are investigating it.”

Despite increasing conflicts between the United States and Pakistan, including one that followed the U.S. raid on Abbottabad in May that killed Osama bin Laden, Little said, “the focus now is on continuing to engage with our Pakistani counterparts over time, even during difficult periods.”

The Defense Department, he added, has “been working very hard for some time to address areas of disagreement with the Pakistanis. We understand there are deep concerns over the incident this weekend and we’ll continue to try to engage closely with our Pakistani counterparts.”

The relationship is important for the United States, the press secretary added, “and we intend to continue to make that clear to the government of Pakistan.”

A strong military relationship with Pakistan is in both countries’ interests and in the interests of peace and stability of the region, he added.

“That’s where we hope to go in the future,” Little said.

Clinton, Panetta Monitor Reports of Pakistan Border Incident

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 2011 – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta are closely monitoring reports of a deadly cross-border incident in Pakistan yesterday, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said.

“Both offer their deepest condolences for the loss of life and support fully NATO's intention to investigate immediately,” Kirby added.

In a statement from Kabul, ISAF officials said they are investigating an incident that occurred early yesterday morning along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

According to news reports, dozens of soldiers were killed in the early morning hours across the border in Pakistan during air strikes by coalition forces.

Clinton, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, each called their Pakistani counterparts, the Pentagon spokesman said.

Cameron P. Munter, U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, also met with Pakistani government officials in Islamabad.

From Kabul, Allen sent his “most sincere and personal heartfelt condolences … to the families and loved ones of any members of Pakistan Security Forces who may have been killed or injured."

The incident, he added, “has my highest personal attention and my commitment to thoroughly investigate it to determine the facts."

In its statement, ISAF said its leadership remains committed to improving security relations with Pakistan, including coordination of operations along border regions in the united fight against terrorism.

Clinton and Panetta each expressed their sympathies and a commitment to review the circumstances of the incident, Kirby said, noting that both stressed “the importance of the U.S.-Pakistani partnership, which serves the mutual interests of our people.”

All the leaders, he added, pledged to stay in close contact with their Pakistani counterparts as both nations work through this challenging time.

Joint Statement by Departments of State and Defense

Secretaries Clinton and Panetta have been closely monitoring reports of the cross-border incident in Pakistan today.  Both offer their deepest condolences for the loss of life and support fully NATO’s intention to investigate immediately.

Secretary Clinton, Gen. Dempsey and Gen. Allen each called their Pakistani counterparts as well.  Ambassador Munter also met with Pakistani government officials in Islamabad.  In their contacts, these US diplomatic and military leaders each stressed -- in addition to their sympathies and a commitment to review the circumstances of the incident -- the importance of the US-Pakistani partnership, which serves the mutual interests of our people.

All these leaders pledged to remain in close contact with their Pakistani counterparts going forward as we work through this challenging time.

Clinton Discusses Way Forward in Afghanistan, Pakistan

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2011 – The United States has made tremendous progress in Afghanistan, but the work that remains to be done requires cooperation from both Afghanistan and Pakistan, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told the House Foreign Affairs Committee today.

Osama bin Laden and many top al-Qaida terrorists are dead, Clinton said. The terror group has been devastated, she added, and its ability to conduct operations is greatly diminished.

“Many of our successes against al-Qaida would not have been possible without our presence in Afghanistan and close cooperation with Pakistan,” she said.

Clinton just returned from visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and CIA Director David H. Petraeus accompanied her.

The coalition in Afghanistan still faces a difficult fight, the secretary said, but the surge in coalition troops and the plus-up in Afghan security forces has wrested momentum away from the Taliban.

Afghan forces are assuming more responsibility each day, Clinton said, noting that Afghan President Hamid Karzai soon will announce the next group of areas in the country where Afghan forces will assume security responsibility.

The Afghans undoubtedly have made progress, Clinton said.

“Ten years ago, fewer than a million students enrolled in Afghan schools -- all of them boys,” she said. “Now, more than 7 million [attend school]. Nearly 40 percent of them are girls. Afghans are better positioned to chart their own future.”

The United States cannot let up in the region, Clinton said. “We should build on our momentum, not undercut our progress,” she told the House panel.

Working with Afghan and Pakistani partners is not always easy, Clinton acknowledged. “But these relationships are advancing America’s national security interests,” she added, “and walking away from them would undermine those interests.”

During her talks with Afghan and Pakistani leaders, Clinton said, she emphasized America’s three-track strategy of “fight, talk and build.”

“The chance of success for all three [is] greatly increased by strong cooperation from the Afghan and Pakistani governments,” she said.

Coalition and Afghan forces have increased pressure on the Taliban, the Haqqani network and other insurgents, Clinton said.

“But our commanders on the ground are increasingly concerned … that we have to go after the safe havens across the border in Pakistan,” she said. “So in Islamabad last week, General Dempsey, Director Petraeus and I delivered a single, unified message: Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership must join us in squeezing the Haqqani network from both sides of the border and in closing safe havens.”

The three underscored to the Pakistanis how urgent this is, and “we had detailed and frank conversations about the concrete steps both sides need to take,” Clinton said.

In the second track, the United States is encouraging an Afghan-led peace process, Clinton said. She reiterated that insurgents must renounce violence, abandon al-Qaida and abide by the laws and constitution of Afghanistan to be accepted back into Afghan society.

“If insurgents cannot or will not meet those redlines, they will face continued and unrelenting assault,” she said. “And I want to stress, as I did in Kabul, that the hard-won rights of women and all Afghans cannot be rolled back, and the growth of civil society must be not be quashed.”

Pakistan has a big stake in reconciliation in Afghanistan, Clinton said, and the United States expects Pakistan to encourage the Taliban and other insurgents to participate in an Afghan peace process in good faith through unequivocal public statements and by closing off the safe havens.

The third track, Clinton said, is building capacity and opportunity in Afghanistan, Pakistan and across the region.

“Now, this is part of a clear-eyed strategy rooted in a lesson we have learned over and over again around the world -- lasting stability and security go hand in hand with greater economic opportunity,” she said.

The economic aspects of this track, Clinton said, are crucial for continued progress in security and reconciliation.

“Now, as the transition proceeds and coalition combat forces leave Afghanistan, there need to be realistic hopes for development,” she said. “We are working to achieve greater agricultural productivity, greater exploitation in a way that benefits the Afghanistan people of natural resources, increasing exports and strengthening the financial sector.”

America wants to move from “aid to trade,” the secretary of state said. Therefore, she added, U.S. lawmakers are being asked to pass legislation that will lower tariffs on Pakistani and Afghan products, and the Enterprise Fund, which will not require taxpayer dollars.

Clinton discussed the regional efforts called the New Silk Road.

“It’s not just an economic plan,” she said. “It talks about how we can get these countries that have so many problems with each other to begin cooperating.”

Clinton: U.S. Employs Three-Part Plan in Afghanistan

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2011 – The United States is employing a three-part strategy to transition responsibility to Afghan authorities, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said here today.

President Barack Obama announced his plan last night to withdraw 10,000 U.S. troops by the end of this year, and a total of 33,000 by September 2012. Clinton said she concurred with the president’s decision during her testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“All three surges -- military, civilian and diplomatic -- are part of the vision for transition that NATO endorsed in Lisbon last December and that President Obama reaffirmed last night,” she said. “As he said, ‘Afghans must take responsibility for their own future.’”

Clinton discussed the progress occurring on the ground in Afghanistan, setting conditions for the transition of responsibility to the Afghan government.

“Since January 2009, we have tripled the number of diplomats, development experts and other civilian specialists on the ground in Afghanistan,” she said, “and we have expanded our presence out in the field nearly six-fold.

”These new civilians have changed the way we do business,” she added, “focusing on key ministries [and] sectors, and holding ourselves and our partners to higher standards.”

Clinton stressed the necessity of implementing all three surges together for the strategy to succeed.

“The three surges work hand in hand,” she said. “You cannot cut or limit one and expect the others to succeed. Ultimately, I believe we are saving money and more importantly, lives, by investing now.”

Stressing diplomacy as a key factor in building support for a political solution in Afghanistan, Clinton referenced a recent vote by the U.N. Security Council regarding sanctions against al-Qaida and the Taliban.

“Just this past Friday, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to support reconciliation by splitting its sanctions against al-Qaida and the Taliban into two separate lists, underscoring that the door is open for the insurgents to abandon the terrorists and choose a different path,” she said. “We welcome these steps.”

Shifting focus, Clinton discussed clear expectations for the United States’ relationship with Pakistan.

“As President Obama said last night, the United States will never tolerate a safe haven for those who kill Americans,” she said.

“We are looking at Pakistan to take concrete actions on the goals we share -- defeating violent extremism, which has also taken so many innocent Pakistani lives; ending the conflict in Afghanistan; and securing a stable, democratic, prosperous future,” Clinton said.