Gen. Petraeus says Afghan mission made impressive progress despite highest coalition death toll in 2010

[News_Editor]

Gen. Petraeus says Afghan mission made impressive progress despite highest coalition death toll in 2010

2011-01-26 01:28:18 GMT+7 (ICT)

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- General David Petraeus, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), on Tuesday announced that the mission in Afghanistan made impressive progress in 2010.

The ISAF and Afghan forces worked together in 2010 to halt a downward security spiral in much of the country in order to continue the mission to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a sanctuary for terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda.

According to Gen. Petraeus, the strategy implemented in 2010 helped to improve security in the country as well as support the establishment of good governance and economic development.

Additional ISAF forces were deployed to the region to support Afghan forces combating militants in the region. Petraeus added that progress has been achieved in Kabul, Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

The ISAF commander said that only occasional attacks have taken place in such areas. However, coalition casualties in Afghanistan have been rising sharply in recent years.

In 2010, a total of 709 coalition soldiers were killed, making it the deadliest year for international troops since the war began in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

In contrast, Petraeus said that 2010 was a year of significant hard-fought accomplishments but recognized that the mission endured 'though losses and periodic setbacks.'

"Despite the achievements of010, there is much hard work to be done in 2011," Gen. Petraeus added. "As President Karzai ahs made clear, the Kabul security bubble needs to be extended into neighboring provinces. And insurgent advances in the north and mountainous northeast must be halted and reversed."

So far this year, a total of 18 coalition service members have been killed in Afghanistan, according to a BNO News count based on official information. Most troops are killed in the country's south.

In the past Lisbon Summit, U.S. leaders pledged to support President Karzai's goal of Afghan forces being in charge of the security of the Middle East country by 2014. Petraeus said that such decision was taken due to the advances in the ISAF-NATO mission.

"Increasingly, Afghans wants to exercise greater sovereignty in their country. The commencement this year of transition of security tasks in selected areas will facilitate the Afghan's government increasing exercise of sovereignty."

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