19 April 2002

Allies Prepared to Help Afghans Defeat al Qaeda Remnants

Asked by reporters about U.S. reaction to reported Taliban operatives active in Afghanistan, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher April 19 underscored the continuing presence of U.S. forces and International Security Assistance forces in Afghanistan.

According to Boucher, more than 17 counties were helping the Afghans rid the country of the final remnants of al Qaeda and the Taliban. Neighboring counties in the region were also cooperating to maintain stability in Afghanistan.

"I would point out once again that the cooperation with Pakistan in particular in this regard has been excellent," he said.

Boucher said U.S. efforts to help Afghanistan develop effective national defense and police forces would enhance Afghanistan's long-term stability.

Following is an excerpt from the transcript of Boucher's April 19 briefing containing his comments about Afghanistan:

Question: The people of Afghanistan are asking that the United States, when they started the war against terrorism, they promised to them that there will be a terrorism/terrorist-free Afghanistan. The Taliban government may have gone, but the terrorists, Taliban or al-Qaida, are still in Afghanistan. The King is now there. Yesterday, he returned from Italy. So how the new government, when they have a new administration in June, or after June, how can they operate when Afghanistan is still full of terrorism?

Mr. Boucher: First of all, US troops have not left Afghanistan. US and other governments, other countries have forces there. The British, as you know, are undertaking operations against al-Qaida remnants. The United States has done so. The Canadians are out there working with all of us. So there is a considerable international presence. At one point, including the International Security Assistance Forces, we counted something like 17 countries that had forces in Afghanistan trying to help not only get rid of the final remnants of this organization of al-Qaida and the Taliban, but also through the International Security Assistance process to maintain forces there to provide a certain sense of stability.

In addition, the chief way that we have been working with this government and will work a new government created under the Loya Jirga is to help train a national army and national police force, because ultimately that is the way to maintain stability in Afghanistan; that's the process that is already under way that we are working and training a national army. The Germans have an extensive support network there to train a national police. We are all working together with other members of the donor community to fund that and to move forward on those two tracks. That is the principal way that we have worked with the government in Afghanistan to maintain security over the longer term.

Question: I have been talking with a lot of Afghanis in this area, a lot of them, and what they are saying is that whatever the US is doing, but they are very much grateful to the United States and the international community that they have helped them to get this Taliban government out of Afghanistan. But the borders are so open that they have come across the border today, and then tomorrow they will leave and still they will come back. So they keep coming and going from across the border. So how can you start that until you stop --

Mr. Boucher: We work as well with countries in the region, with countries that border on Afghanistan and other countries in the region to try to ensure that we are all doing our part to maintain security and that we get rid of these Taliban elements, these al-Qaida elements who might try to regroup, or might try to regroup either on the Afghan side or other sides of the border. I would point out once again that the cooperation with Pakistan in particular in this regard has been excellent.