Speeches

Transcript of Ambassador William Wood's Press Conference in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province

July 8, 2007

AMBASSADOR WOOD:  I would like to thank Governor Shirzai for inviting me to Jalalabad today.  We have had very good discussions together and I have also had very good discussions with the Provincial Council and some women members of the Provincial Council.  I was very impressed by the commitment of Governor Shirzai and of the Provincial Council to seek stability and development and freedom for all in the Province of Nangarhar.

I was able to confirm again to Governor Shirzai that the United States would be providing $82 million in economic assistance in the next year.  This is more economic assistance than the United States has provided to Nangarhar in the last five years combined and it demonstrates the commitment of the United States to help Nangarhar become a province of peace, stability, prosperity and freedom.

We had a number of very constructive conversations regarding security, regarding economic development, regarding cross-border trade with Pakistan, regarding the opening in August of a new bridge from Afghanistan to Tajikistan, and regarding the counter-drug effort here in Nangarhar.  We also had very constructive conversations about how to support the continued institutional development of the nation of Afghanistan and support for President Karzai.

On the basis of these conversations with the Governor and the Provincial Council I am confident that the United States will be able to maintain its close and cooperative relationship with the Province of Nangarhar.  I am also confident that cooperation between the Province of Nangarhar, the people of Nangarhar, the U.S. forces here and the U.S. PRT here will continue to be effective, constructive and active.

I had a very good meeting this morning with the members of the military base and the members of the PRT and I once again was impressed by their commitment to a golden future for Nangarhar and their confidence in the ability and dedication of the people of Nangarhar and the Provincial government.  Nangarhar can count on the United States and Afghanistan can count on the United States.

Thank you.

QUESTION: Recently some incidents have caused civilian casualties in eastern parts and Nangerhar province.  Civilian casualties always been said to be prevented, in the media and people have requested and also the coalition forces have said they will try their best to prevent civilian casualties.  It has been said in press many times, but the problem has kept repeating.  How can the people get confidence that such civilian casualties will stop or be prevented; how can they get confident about it?  

Ambassador Wood:  The Governor and I discussed the issue of civilian casualties and the Provincial Council and I discussed the issue of civilian casualties.  I reiterated again U.S. regret for all cases of civilian casualties wherever they have occurred.  I also reiterated our commitment to work with the Afghan Army, the Afghan Police, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior, and the government of President Karzai to avoid civilian casualties.

United States military officers and international military officers have been consulting closely with the government of Afghanistan and have been steadily improving procedures in order to avoid civilian casualties.

I also asked the members of the Provincial Council to talk to the members of the communities of Nangarhar to ask them to cooperate with authorities to help identify threats to the province while it’s small -- strangers with weapons, evidence of the fabrication of weapons, anything that could pose a threat to the community.  Because the best way to prevent civilian casualties is to identify threats while they are still small so that Afghan authorities, elders, village groups can identify them and take away the danger before military action is required.

The U.S. is committed to avoiding civilian casualties.  The U.S. is committed to avoiding civilian casualties.  I know of cases in which we have canceled operations because there was reason to believe there might be civilian casualties.  Of course when our forces are attacked we don’t have the option of canceling the operation. 

We need to put the blame where it belongs.  It is the Taliban and their criminal allies, the drug traffickers, who target civilians.  It is they who explode bombs without targets to kill whoever is nearby.  It is they who bury landmines to kill anyone who is passing by.  It is they who seek to involve civilians in every operation.  The United States has pledged to avoid civilian casualties.  The insurgents have made no such pledge.  Just the opposite.  The insurgency attempts to increase the number of civilians in order to create divisions between the international forces and the government, in order to create divisions between the international forces and the people of Afghanistan who we are here to protect.

Again, I reiterate our regret at every civilian casualty.  I reiterate our commitment to improve the future every day to try to avoid all civilian casualties, but we also need to put the blame where it belongs -- on the insurgents who are trying to increase civilian casualties.

I’m sorry, I have to leave.  Thank you very much.

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