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US Defense Secretary Visits Afghan Taliban Birthplace

   VOA News 03 September 2010

   U.S.  Defense  Secretary Robert Gates on Friday visited U.S. troops in
   the  southern  Afghan province of Kandahar, the spiritual homeland of
   the  Taliban and the center of the latest U.S. efforts to oust Islamic
   militants.
   Gates  met  with  about  100  soldiers  at  a  U.S. military base near
   Kandahar City, saying their success in the area will make a difference
   to  NATO's  campaign to secure the region.  He offered condolences to
   the  troops for the recent loss of eight comrades in insurgent attacks
   and warned there will be more tough days ahead.
   One  soldier  asked  Gates  if the U.S. military will target insurgent
   safe  havens in Pakistan used by fighters to launch attacks against in
   Afghanistan.  The U.S. defense secretary responded that the likelihood
   of direct U.S. military engagement in Pakistan is "very low."
   Gates  said  Pakistan  shares the U.S. objective to eliminate the safe
   havens.   But,  he  said  Islamabad's  current  focus  on  tackling  a
   nationwide  flooding  crisis  will delay a Pakistani offensive against
   militants in the North Waziristan tribal region "for some time."
   Many  militants  have  fled  to  North  Waziristan in the past year to
   escape Pakistani offensives in other northwestern regions.

   On  Thursday,  Gates  held talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in
   Kabul.  At  a joint news conference, the two gave conflicting accounts
   about  casualties  from  a NATO air strike on a convoy in the northern
   province of Takhar earlier that day.
   Gates  said  the air strike killed a leader of the Islamic Movement of
   Uzbekistan,  a  militant  group  he said is responsible for attacks in
   Kabul  and  elsewhere.  NATO  said the air strike also killed at least
   seven  other  armed  militants  who  were  in  the same vehicle as the
   leader.
   Mr.  Karzai  disputes  that  account,  saying the air strike killed 10
   election workers traveling with a candidate for upcoming parliamentary
   elections, Abdul Wahid Khorasani.
   Khorasani,  who  was wounded, told reporters by telephone from a Kabul
   hospital  that  NATO  warplanes  struck him and his supporters as they
   traveled in six vehicles draped with campaign posters.
   Gates  and NATO officials promised to investigate. Civilian casualties
   resulting  from  NATO  operations  have been a major source of tension
   between the alliance and the Afghan government.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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