Published: February 04, 2010 07:00 am      

Donnelly feels surge key to Afghan success

Its goal is to establish government’s control

The United States military effort in Afghanistan couldn’t be successful without the current deployment surge, which is sending an additional 30,000 American troops to the war-torn country, according to U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind.

The 2nd District Congressman returned Tuesday from a trip to Romania, Pakistan and Afghanistan with four other members of Congress.

Donnelly said in a teleconference with Indiana reporters Wednesday that the surge is intended to re-establish the control of the Afghanistan government in the south and southwest territories that are friendly to the Taliban.

“This is a counter-insurgency,” he said. “The goal is to clean the Taliban from the territory, hold it and rebuild the area.”

Donnelly said once the area is secured, the U.S. Agency for International Development will provide water, electricity and medical care and the Afghanistan army and police will be used to stabilize the area.

He said the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan will peak in July 2011, and the military will start withdrawing troops as conditions allow. Donnelly said the hope by that time is that there will be 240,000 Afghanistan troops and 160,000 police officers.

“We have just started the surge,” Donnelly said, “we have to give it time to work and determine the effectiveness.”

Donnelly said during a visit to Afghanistan in 2008, he was aware the U.S. military didn’t have the resources to keep the Taliban out of an area.

“Today it is a different situation,” he said. “We have enough resources.”

Pressure is being applied on low level Taliban fighters to switch sides and join government forces, Donnelly said.

He said that will be accomplished by improving government services in the area and ending corruption in the Afghanistan government.

“People support the government, but are disappointed about the corruption,” Donnelly said. “The Taliban has used the corruption to gain support.”

Donnelly said the key to the war in Afghanistan is to have a stability in neighboring Pakistan.

“Pakistan has been the central location for al-Qaida leaders,” he said.

Donnelly said Pakistan has started a major military offensive along the border between the two countries.

“We don’t want the Afghanistan Taliban to use Pakistan as a safe haven,” he said. “The government is on the offensive and intends to hold those areas.”

Donnelly said the Pakistan government’s objective is to regain control in territories where the Taliban and al-Qaida have a strong presence.

“Without Pakistan cooperation, it makes the military operation more difficult in Afghanistan,” he said.

Donnelly said Pakistan has nuclear weapons and it’s important those weapons don’t fall into the hands of the Taliban and al-Qaida. He said Pakistan officials assured the congressional delegation that the weapons are secured.

• Ken de la Bastide is the Kokomo Tribune enterprise editor. He can be reached at 765-454-8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com