Sunday, June 05 – US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Afghanistan in an announced farewell tour. He arrived in Kabul on Saturday where he was welcomed by Afghan President Hamid Krzaid with a mixture of praise for his commitment to Afghanistan and frustrated rhetoric ordering an end to coalition-caused civilian casualties.
He was welcomed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai shortly after his arrival on Saturday in Afghanistan, he was called as a “friend” of Afghanistan and was presented with the highest governmental award for his work during the past four and half years, which is the Wazir Akbar Khan medal.
Besides, Afghan President Hamid Karzai also expressed his frustration over civilian deaths resulting from coalition air strikes on homes. Karzai said, “the bombardment of civilian homes is an issue that the Afghans definitely want to end. We cannot take this anymore, and the Afghans want a change in it”.
The recent air strike which was conducted by NATO-led forces killed at least 14 civilian Afghan, including women and children. The incident once again raised tensions between Afghan government and the coalition forces and caused Mr. Karzai to proclaim what he called his last warning to NATO-led international forces to end the air strikes on civilian homes.
US Defense Secretary Mr. Robert Gates also expressed Washington’s profound regret for the cost of this nearly 10 year war while speaking alongside President Karzai at the presidential palace on Saturday evening.
He said, “there is weariness in both our countries over the duration and cost of this conflict. I am keenly aware that ISAF military operations have at times impacted the Afghan people in unwelcome ways, from minor, but grating inconveniences to, in some rare but tragic cases, civilians accidentally killed or injured – losses we mourn and profoundly regret”.
As the coalition forces prepares to start handing over security duties next month, defense secretary Robert Gates had his own firm message for the Afghan government where he said, “while the international commitment here is strong and durable, that commitment is not infinite in either time or resources. For the upcoming transition to be successful, the Afghan government and security forces must be willing to step up and take more and more responsibility for governing and defending their own territory”.
While on his last official visit to Afghanistan as U.S. defense secretary, Gates is expected to meet with U.S. and Afghan troops. He is going to head to Brussels for a NATO security conference, which is expected to focus in part on the situation in Afghanistan, later this week.
