Is the U.S. Staying or Going in Afghanistan and Pakistan?

By Courtney Ann Jackson-Talk Radio News Service

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen argued for patience when it comes to the United States’ relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Thursday. Mullen said he plans to set benchmarks for progress while in the two countries.

“I think we know what needs to be done. I think there are some significant challenges in the how to do this. You’ve got to have the security umbrella but the key is education long term. The key is village by village. The key is putting institutions which are not corrupt, developing capacity at every level...which provide for their people,” said Mullen.

In his opening statement Committee Chairman Senator John Kerry (D-MA) said the Obama administration has recognized the tough road ahead and set a goal of not allowing Afghanistan to become a “safe haven for al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups that seek to attack us” again.

Another talking point of the Committee hearing was the United States’ presence in Pakistan. Kerry and Senator Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) have set forth the Kerry-Lugar bill which would fix a Pakistan policy that they believe has “largely failed,” according to Kerry’s opening statement. The bill would triple non-military aid, authorizing it for five to ten years and change the fundamentals of the United States’ relationship with Pakistan. President Obama has called on Congress to pass this Kerry-Lugar bill as part of his overall strategy, said Kerry.

In the conclusion of Mullen’s written statement he said believes the State Department should be funded as the lead agent of U.S. diplomacy and development and that would still require the “backing of a robust military and strong economy.” He said the nation’s military activities should not lead the nation’s foreign policy but instead support it.

Mullen said, “As we win the wars we are fighting and restore the health of our Armed Forces, the military’s approach will increasingly support our diplomatic counterparts through the persistent engagement required to build networks of capable partners. By operating hand-in-hand with partners and integrated with the interagency and non-governmental organizations, we will more successfully protect the citizens of this Nation.”

Special groups in Iraq are "like the mafia"

There are about fifteen to twenty key leaders of "special groups" within Iraq, Army Col. John Hort, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division said during a live brief to the Pentagon from Iraq. It's hard to tell how many followers they have, Hort said, about two to four thousand, but it's hard to count. However, that number isn't nearly what it was before March, according to Hort.

Those "special groups" are those that are unaligned with not only the government, but also with the political movement within the country. They just create their own group sort of like the mafia, Hort said. "They're more interested in power," sometimes with religious connotations, but it's really more about power, he said.

The al-Queda threat still exists but with the help of the Sons of Iraq (directed by and reporting to the Iraqi Army), Hort said there has been significant improvement. Approximately a year ago, the attacks in Sadr City averaged about six to seven attacks a day, and now they are averaging about one a day. According to Hort, there has been "significant progress" in regards to security.

Hort said he approximates that 98% of the SOI are paid by the Iraqi Army.