The Pentagon Reports On The Progress Of Operation Enduring Freedom
Bagram, Afghanistan (AHN) - U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakley briefs the Pentagon on the progress of Operation Enduring Freedom, five years into its inception.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7002812635
March 16, 2006 10:04 p.m. EST
Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer
General Freakley, took command of the Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan last month, and says he can see "significant accomplishments."
Freakley says, "While there's still a great amount of work to be done, we think that also this nation of Afghanistan clearly is moving forward every day."
"The Combined Joint Task Force is focused in three major areas. The first is security. In the security mission, we have about 21,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines in the Combined Joint Task Force."
Gen. Freakley adds, "The keys to this security pillar that we're working is partnership with the Afghan National Army, the Afghan National Police, and the Afghan Border Police."
He continues, "We are fighting daily with the Afghan army in our operations here throughout Afghanistan. We're also partnered with the Office of Security Cooperation Afghanistan, which has the mission to train the Afghan army and the Afghan police. And we're also joined with - or led by Combined Forces Command Afghanistan, which gives us military direction in our work."
He adds, "The second pillar that we're focused on is governance. And you know about the provincial reconstruction teams, that are comprised of a military portion, State Department, United States Agency for Internal Development, as well as United States Agriculture Department."
"This is where the inter-agency [cooperation] happens in Afghanistan. And these great provincial reconstruction teams are out with the local governors, with the local police force working on developmental plans to further the infrastructure and governance internal to each district and province that makes up this country."
The General continues, saying, "Thirdly is with reconstruction, our third pillar following security and governance, and that's where we are working with USAID, nongovernmental organizations and contributing nations to the reconstruction - or construction, in many cases - of Afghanistan."
General Freakley notes, "As you realize, the infrastructure here is very embryonic. It's tough infrastructure. And with infrastructure improvement comes security, and with security comes reconstruction."