Obama vows to keep up war in Afghanistan
By IANSTuesday, July 20, 2010
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has vowed to continue the war in Afghanistan to deny an even larger safe haven to Al Qaeda terrorists trained in Afghanistan and the tribal regions along the Pakistani border.
“This is not an easy fight. But it is a necessary one,” he said at the White House Tuesday after a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron with “much of our discussion focused on Afghanistan.”
“Terrorists trained in Afghanistan and the tribal regions along the Pakistani border have killed innocent civilians in both of our countries,” Obama said.
And an even wider insurgency in Afghanistan would mean an even larger safe haven for Al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates to plan their next attack,” he said. “And we are not going to let that happen.”
“We have the right strategy. We’re going to break the Taliban’s momentum. We’re going to build Afghan capacity so Afghans can take responsibility for their future,” Obama said. “And we’re going to deepen regional cooperation, including with Pakistan.”
Obama said the United States firmly supports the Afghan government’s peace and reconciliation plan presented at Tuesday’s historic Kabul Conference.
“The Kabul Conference shows that Afghanistan has the support of the international community, including the United States, which will remain a long-term partner for the security and progress of the Afghan people,” he said.
