Afghanistan seen tougher challenge than Iraq
2009-02-08

Category Taliban Al Qaeda Nations Germany Pakistan Afghanistan Category Regions Regions Asia Metropolitan Munich People David Petraeus Hamid Karzai Joseph Biden Barack Obama Event Afghan Terror War Source (Reuters)

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan will be much tougher than in Iraq, the newly appointed U.S. envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan said on Sunday.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Richard Holbrooke said he had never in his political career seen any situation as difficult as the one involving Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"In my view, it's going to be much tougher than Iraq," said Holbrooke, who will travel to the region this week.

Holbrooke was in Munich as part of a high-level U.S. delegation that also included Vice President Joe Biden and National Security Adviser James Jones to discuss international conflicts such as Iraq, the Middle East and Afghanistan.

European allies have been watching out for requests from the new U.S. administration for more troops to help reverse a growing insurgency in Afghanistan that has escalated to the highest levels since the invasion that toppled the Taliban.

The United States has been waging a war against Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan since shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City and Washington.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the Munich conference that in an effort to stabilize his country and halt the insurgency, his government would push for reconciliation with Taliban not linked to al Qaeda.

"The forthcoming elections in Afghanistan ... will be valuable opportunities to give a new impetus to the reconciliation agenda," Karzai said.

REGIONAL APPROACH

President Barack Obama is expected to approve up to 17,000 more combat troops for Afghanistan but U.S. officials said last week the plan was still being debated in the White House National Security Council.

Jones, a retired general who runs the council, said poor international coordination and failure to take a regional approach to rebuilding Afghanistan had prevented allies from succeeding in the country.

"It is a regional problem set. We've come to the realization that the region as a whole must be considered," he said. Jones said international coordination in Afghanistan so far had been "spotty at best."

Officials from Obama's administration made clear in Munich they were setting on a multilateral strategy to solve conflicts such as the one in Afghanistan but they also called on Washington's partners to get more involved.

Biden, addressing the conference Saturday, said both Washington and its allies had to take responsibility for a strategy of "clear and achievable goals" in Afghanistan.

Jones said Afghanistan was "not simply an American problem. It's an international problem," adding:

"That's why the Obama administration will work closely with NATO and the Afghan and Pakistani governments to forge a new comprehensive strategy to meet achievable goals. This will be a shared effort with our allies."

Chief of the U.S. Central Command General David Petraeus said there had been "nothing easy about Afghanistan," adding: "This will be a long and difficult fight I agree."

(Additional reporting by Noah Barkin, Sabine Siebold)