Ensuring Success in Afghanistan
Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr.
Berlin Capital Club, September 28, 2007
As prepared for delivery.
Thank you for the invitation to speak at the Capital Club. As many of you may know, I had a long a career in business before President Bush gave me the opportunity to serve my country in such a special way. It is a great honor for me to represent my country as Ambassador. As the President's "man on the ground," my main goal is simple: to improve the bilateral relationship between our two great nations.
I don’t believe that such an important partnership is the exclusive purview of government officials and politicians. I have always said that the private sector cannot stand on the sidelines and watch. It cannot afford to leave politics to the politicians. The business community is an important stakeholder in both the German-American and the transatlantic relationships. Two-way trade and investment is a centerpiece of the bilateral relationship.
During Germany's recent Presidency of the European Union, Chancellor Merkel laid out a bold vision to harness further the energies of our respective business communities. The Chancellor proposed a partnership between the U.S. and Europe that would work towards the reduction of regulatory barriers. Known as the Transatlantic Economic Council, this new initiative is underway. Al Hubbard, the President's Economic Advisor, and I met with the Chancellor personally last June to kick off the work of the Council. Hubbard and his team are working closely with EU Commissioner Verheugen. They will meet in November to report on their progress. The potential rewards are enormous. The BDI estimates that by reducing regulatory barriers on both sides of the Atlantic, we could gain up to three percent growth in GDP. Europe and the U.S. already generate 60 % of the world’s GDP, so plus 3 % is a big, big, number.
We are also using the Council as a forum for discussion of other topics of crucial importance. For example, we are looking at ways to protect cargo shipments from terrorist activities and to address concerns about supply chain security requirements. Those discussions are a reminder of the complexity of international relationships. It also brings me to the topic that I would like to focus on this evening.
From the beginning of the postwar transatlantic alliance, it was understood that the principles for which the transatlantic partners stood – liberty and opportunity, human dignity and human rights – would inspire a broader community of democracies. Our partnership was based on both the capability and the resolve to shape an international balance of power that favors freedom. Today, we are fulfilling our duty to help all who wish to join our ranks, as is the case, thousands of miles beyond Europe, in the nation of Afghanistan.
In October, the German Bundestag will decide whether or not to extend the mandate of the Federal Armed Forces for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and Tornado missions in Afghanistan. Thirty-seven countries currently contribute to ISAF – 26 NATO Allies and 11 partners. The main mission of ISAF is to help Afghanistan's development, reconstruction and to contribute to stability throughout Afghanistan. The more stable the environment, the better we can deliver humanitarian assistance, and help with reconstruction and national development. With about 3,000 German troops stationed in Afghanistan, Germany is the third largest provider of troops to this mission.
In November, the Bundestag will vote on whether the Federal Armed Forces should continue to be involved in Operation Enduring Freedom. Operation Enduring Freedom is a multifaceted counter-terrorism operation. In Afghanistan, almost two-thirds of OEF personnel work on training, mentoring and equipping the Afghan National Security Forces – both the Army and the Police. This is a critical part of our long-term strategy in Afghanistan. We need to build the capacity of the Afghan forces so that they can provide for their own country's security. This is obvious.
As a result of the upcoming votes, both the German government and the German parliament have been engaged in serious discussion with their American counterparts about how we are doing and what more we need to do in Afghanistan. We appreciate all that Germany is doing in Afghanistan Germany is an important ally not just because of the size of its contributions but also because of its across-the-board involvement in the mission – in the military operations, in training, and in civil reconstruction and development. German soldiers have fought bravely in Afghanistan to protect that emerging society. German aid workers are helping the Afghan people to build a new, stronger society. We realize that this strong commitment to Afghanistan comes at a cost. Germany has lost three soldiers and three police officers there in just the past four months. Tyrants and dictators have always resisted freedom, liberty and democracy through terror.
Critics paint a pessimistic picture of the situation in Afghanistan. Some argue that we have set the bar too high for ourselves – that establishing a democratic government is unachievable. Others say that Afghanistan is a lost cause; that the Taliban is winning; and that this is an American war that doesn't matter to Europe. This is grossly unfair to the German and American and other soldiers and civilians on the ground, and indeed to the Afghan people themselves. We are producing solid results in Afghanistan and, ultimately, we will succeed. This is not an effort in vain, but a good investment in Afghanistan, in our own societies, and in the world.
The progress we have made cuts across all fields. Afghanistan has an elected president and parliament. Afghan police officers are now enforcing laws made by a freely elected parliament. New roads, new hospitals, and new jobs are giving fresh hope to a nation eager to prosper. It once was a “crime” to educate women; now over 6 million children are back in school – two million of them young girls. Today there is a functioning Central Bank with more than 30 regional branches and a single, internationally traded currency. Afghan economic growth hovers between 12 and 14 percent per year, outstripping even India. The 50 kilometers of paved roads that existed in 2001 will be 5,000 kilometers by December. By providing Afghans with an increased opportunity to make a living and support their families, we are also providing them with hope.
The hopes of the Afghan people for a long-term, stable, secure, more prosperous future depend on the assistance we can give them. Afghanistan has the potential to become a factor for regional stability and integration – or become a victim of larger neighbors and a touchstone for wider instability and conflict. We can tackle refugee flows, smuggling, extremist exploitation and other serious concerns on the borders of Afghanistan, or we can watch them spread out from those border regions. Today, Afghan opium is a problem for Europe’s children. A failed state would unleash a tsunami of poppy on Europe. By placing our bets on the future of Afghanistan, we are placing our bets on a more stable, secure, and ultimately prosperous region. The re-establishment of Taliban and al-Qaeda rule in Afghanistan would present a major long-term threat to the people in that country and the surrounding region, to peace and stability in the region and the wider Middle East, and to our own societies. It would mean death to thousands.
We have seen what can happen when Afghanistan becomes a failed state and a haven for terrorists. Afghanistan under the Taliban was the host nation for al Qaeda. Although we have made substantial progress in eliminating places al Qaeda can call home, the simple truth is that this terrorist group, as well as other dangerous groups, is still out there waiting in neighboring Pakistan to return. Recent discoveries by the German authorities about potential plots right here in this country made very clear that there are serious threats we face. I think we have to assume that these plots will be ongoing as long as there is a place to hatch them, train for them, and plan them. Working together, our law enforcement agencies have demonstrated that extremist terrorist groups are using the Afghan-Pakistani border area for training. Al Qaeda and other extremist groups are still a danger to people of good will, whether in Afghanistan, the wider region, Europe, or America. That is why the U.S. also is working closely with Pakistan to counter this threat, and it is why we are spending $150 million per year for the next five years to encourage development in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
But the principal victims of al Qaeda killings have been other Moslems. In Afghanistan and elsewhere, Al Qaeda and the Taliban deliberately target innocent civilians, whether villagers or aid workers. They display an utter disregard for the compassion that is central to Islam. The increasing brutality of the Taliban is a testament to the group's growing desperation and their realization that the Afghan people want to be secure. They want a better life. With determined and brutal attackers like the Taliban and al Qaeda, providing security for the Afghan people is a tough business – one that relies on agile, combat-ready forces doing what is necessary to defeat an opponent that acknowledges no rules.
Our help is vital to the Afghan people – whether from the perspective of humanitarian assistance, reconstruction and development, or pure and simple security from a brutal attacker. We must not submit to intimidation. Where would it stop? At the gates of Munich? What more is needed today to help Afghanistan? More police trainers; better coordination of international assistance efforts; more military liaison and training teams helping the Afghan military; tactical helicopters and maneuver forces; and further reconstruction and development resources – to name a few.
Last year, at the NATO Summit in Riga, there was agreement about the need for a comprehensive approach combining both military and civilian initiatives throughout Afghanistan. As one American General said earlier this year, “If I could have another battalion or another road, I would take the road.” That is what is needed to open up access and extend government. If the military sweeps the Taliban from a district, the police have to be right behind them to keep the Taliban from infiltrating back in. So while German and EU police training efforts have been very welcome, we need to devote even more resources to these initiatives. By the way, over a quarter of the 160 EU trainers are from Germany – we know that, and we value the contribution. But we need more trainers, not fewer. We need trainers out in the field. By the same token, reconstruction work has to start as soon as the firing has stopped. You can’t bring generators to a dam unless you have a safe area and safe roads to move them across. Pursuing these activities in a separate and disjointed fashion just doesn’t work.
What NATO’s comprehensive approach really boils down to is giving people throughout Afghanistan what they expect from their government. It is exactly what you and I expect from our governments – security, effective police and military forces, fair justice and court systems, economic opportunity, and most important, health and education for our children.
As Chancellor Merkel has said, security and development are inextricably linked. Afghanistan must not be allowed to fall into the hands of the radical Islamic Taliban again. Like Chancellor Merkel, President Bush is deeply committed to Afghanistan. We look forward to working with Germany, NATO Allies, the EU, and any others who share our vision of hope and want to help Afghanistan succeed. This is a time for leadership.
Thank you.