The Washington Post
August 26, 2012
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General John R. Allen, commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, published the following op-ed in Sunday's Washington Post. General Allen wrote that with continued commitment we can prevail in a part of the world vital to U.S. national security and the mission in Afghanistan is more accurately characterized by "green and blue" cooperation rather than "green ON blue" violence.
“But the real story here is green and blue. Every day, hundreds of thousands of Afghan soldiers and police across this nation work and fight side by side with coalition troops to defeat our common enemies and protect the civilian population. We interact closely on numerous operations, extending security for the Afghan people.”
“These trends speak well for the future of Afghanistan, but the international community should know these gains are fragile, and reversible, if we lose our will to succeed.”
“This struggle is far from over, but the solution will be found in our growing strength and will not be defined by incidents of “green-on-blue” violence. Our cause is right, our determination is clear and our sacrifices have not been in vain. We are, in fact, prevailing.”
…….
“We can achieve what we set out to do in Afghanistan, defeating al-Qaeda and denying it a haven, but that depends on achieving an Afghanistan that can stand on its own.”
“This moment in Afghan history has arrived not by accident or luck but in the wake of powerful events: the growing strength and capability of Afghan security forces; the signing of bilateral and multilateral strategic partnerships; and the international community’s pledge of substantial support for the next decade.” “These accomplishments have been borne on the backs of remarkable allied and Afghan forces — those serving today and those who have gone before. Their tremendous sacrifices are creating security conditions that, finally, are bringing a real sense of confidence to the Afghan people.”
“We will not allow our efforts to be derailed by the so-called “green-on-blue” attacks — Afghans shooting coalition troops — that have received so much attention recently. Each instance is a tragedy, and we mourn every loss.”
……. “This is playing out in another important color combination: white on red. The Afghan population is organizing to drive the hated Taliban from their villages. This movement is emerging in areas where the heavy hand of the Taliban has created a popular groundswell against the insurgents. These trends speak well for the future of Afghanistan, but the international community should know these gains are fragile, and reversible, if we lose our will to succeed.”
“U.S., allied and Afghan security forces will continue to deal with “green-on-blue” attacks. We will mourn our precious dead, but we will not permit this threat to derail the progress being made by coalition and Afghan forces. We also resolve to protect the civilian population, the 'white,' from the scourge of the Taliban, the ‘red.’"
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