Karzai addresses NATO transition at National Military Academy of Afghanistan graduation

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

03.22.2011

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class John Fischer 

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan - President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai addressed an audience of cabinet ministers, prominent political personalities, foreign diplomats, and representatives of NATO forces in Afghanistan during an officer graduation at the National Military Academy of Afghanistan in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 22.

Karzai expressed his opinions on NATO and Afghan activities and the upcoming security transition to 299 newly commissioned Afghan National Army officers and an international host of general officers, including NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan commander Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, acting senior International Security Assistance Force general during a temporary hiatus by ISAF commander Gen. David Petraeus.

“While the rest of the world is focused on the implementation of a no fly zone over Libya, President Karzai spoke of the transition,” said Caldwell. “Transition from an international coalition force that provides security in Afghanistan to a nation secured by its own army and police. He [Karzai] spoke of a nation that stands ready to begin that transition starting this July as the Afghan national security force will take responsibility for security in seven different locations. He also told the young second lieutenants that it is their responsibility to press the fight and ensure the future stability of Afghanistan.”

The transition involves a great deal of responsibilities in many areas, said Karzai. Security, construction and ensuring stable governance throughout the nation were the top points of the handover.

“Transition means defending the country, ensuring security and implementing development projects,” he said. “It also means the Afghans will carry out all affairs such as ensuring security, implementing reconstruction projects and taking over responsibility for providing governance in all zones and meeting the patriotic Afghans' wish and demands."

Karzai admitted the difficulties of taking full responsibilities, citing the need for both security and reconstruction in light of the history of violence the country has been affected by during the last 30 years as well as the current subversive activities in the country.

“We also know that the Afghan people will no longer want others to carry out responsibility for defending their country,” said Karzai. “Therefore, we reached an agreement with the world on transferring responsibilities to the Afghans,” he also said as he announced the names of provinces and cities where security will be handed over to the Afghan security forces from NATO troops in mid-June this year.

"Afghanistan will take over complete responsibility for security in the following areas from Saratan [ 22 June] of the current year,” Karzai said. “The responsibility for security of Kabul except for its Surobi District, Panjsher province, Bamiyan province, Herat city except for its districts, Lashkar Gah city, the capital of Helmand province, Mazar-e Sharif, the capital of Balkh province and Mehtarlam, the capital of Laghman province. This transition process will expand from the center of the provinces to the districts."

The president stressed that certain conditions are making the Afghan people wary of supporting coalition forces, but that good relations will improve if basic issues are resolved. The key issues Karzai discussed were civilian casualties, arbitrary searching of homes and the dissolution of structures acting as parallels to the ANSF.

"The Afghan people may support the international community's presence in Afghanistan, but safeguarding the Afghans' lives, ending civilian casualties, fundamentally strengthening the government and the dissolution of parallel structures and activities are the basic conditions for the continuation of relations between us, America and NATO," Karzai said. "On the basis of our national interests, the continuation of our cooperation and friendship with America is considered a key pillar of our foreign and security policy. It should be clear that future cooperation between Afghanistan, America and NATO should have links with the success of the transition process and the nature and amount of their aid in the governance building process."

Gen. Shir Mohammad Karimi, the ANA chief of staff, reflected the essence of what Karzai’s speech meant to the cadets’ future when he spoke to them a week prior at their affirmation ceremony. He stressed the importance these cadets carried with them as they prepared to be on their way out of NMAA’s halls – the task of leading the transition from NATO to Afghanistan through directing their troops with leadership, officership, and national pride.

“Afghans will be responsible for the security of Afghanistan,” he said. “These cadets will help this process, and will be gaining many responsibilities to effect change.”

Exactly six years since its opening day, NMAA is graduating its third class of commissioned 2nd Lieutenants into the ANA, each one committing 10 years of service to the army.

• Date Taken: 03.22.2011
• Date Posted: 03.22.2011 14:34
• Story ID: 67548
• Location: KABUL, AF