Afghans Pose Awkward Questions for U.S. Military Chief

Dan De Luce (Agence France-Presse)

July 27, 2010

The U.S. military’s top-ranking officer fielded some tricky questions in a meeting with Afghan tribal elders on Monday, as he underlined Washington’s long-term commitment to the country. …

As the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff sat humbly listening, the elders expressed their frustration at Pakistan’s role in the nearly nine-year war, U.S. policies and the credibility of local government officials.

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Determined to Reach a Common Objective

“We knew at the outset that the task would be difficult. We acknowledged that publicly and privately. We knew this would be a road with many bumps— and there have been many bumps—and that continues to this day. But we are not deterred. We are, to the contrary, determined more than ever to proceed to realize the common objective, which we all share, of a Middle East that is at peace with security and prosperity for the people of Israel, for Palestinians, and for all the people in the region. We will continue our efforts in that regard, undeterred and undaunted by the difficulties, the complexities or the bumps in the road.”—George Mitchell, special envoy for Middle East peace, remarks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, September 29, 2010

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