National

Afghans, Americans tired of war: Panetta

March 29, 2012

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After more than a decade of the anti-terrorism campaign, the Afghans and Americans were tired of war, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said.
“We’ve been through 10 years of war in the United States, and there’s no question that the American people are tired of war, just as the Afghan people are tired of war,” Panetta told reporters. At a joint media availability with his Canadian counterpart, the secretary said: “I think the American people understand why we’re engaged in Afghanistan. 9/11 represented an attack on our country. Over 3,000 people lost their lives as a result
of the attack”
He said in many ways, the al Qaeda threat had gone out to the rest of the world, Panetta said in Ottawa, Canada. “As a result, the world has come together to confront that threat. That’s what got us involved inAfghanistan is the effort to ensure that that country would never again become a safe haven for al Qaeda or for their allies to be able to plan attacks on this country or any country for that matter,” he said. Panetta said Gen John Allen, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, was convinced that 2011 represented an important turning point in that war. “We have seen the level of violence going down…” The US goal was to complete the process of transition by mid-2013, Panetta said, believing the Afghan army had improved dramatically in terms of its operational skills.
“They are involved directly in operations. They’re involved in providing security. And ultimately, that’s going to be a very important answer to completing this mission.” Canadian Defence Minister Peter Mackay said the ability of Afghan forces to plan and execute their own patrols and protection was enormous compared to where they were a decade ago, even a few short years ago.
“This is our generation’s war. This is a test of our perseverance, our ability to carry through for the long-term security of not just Afghanistan, but the region and ultimately the entire world,” he remarked. “So there’s a lot at stake, and Canada will be there with our NATO partners. We’re getting ready, of course, for the Chicago NATO summit; the first time we’ve held one in North America for some time. It is going to be a very important pivotal point as we plan for post-2013 and how we support Afghanistan,” Mackay concluded.