AFGHANISTAN & PAKISTAN

Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton's Trip to Afghanistan

18 November 2009 Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton's Trip to Afghanistan  Secretary Clinton will travel to Afghanistan to attend President Karzai’s November 19 inauguration ceremony, meet with Afghanistan’s leadership, international partners and allies, US troops, staff in Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and Embassy staff. This is the Secretary's fourth trip to Afghanistan, first as Secretary of State.

19 November 2009 Counterterrorism: Press Conference with Secretary Clinton at U.S. Embassy Kabul

19 November 2009 Clinton: Afghans Face Critical Moment With Karzai’s Second Term  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in Afghanistan to join foreign dignitaries and Afghan leaders November 19 for President Hamid Karzai’s inauguration ceremony. Clinton says Afghanistan is at a critical moment in its history on the eve of the inauguration of Karzai’s second term.

18 November 2009 Briefing by Secretary Clinton En Route Kabul, Afghanistan

18 November 2009 Clinton’s Remarks at the Meet and Greet with Employees in Kabul  U.S. seeks strong partnership with the government and people of Afghanistan.

16 November 2009 Clinton: Karzai Must Do More to Fight Corruption to Get Aid  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai must do more to crack down on corruption if he wants continued civilian aid from Washington. In an interview with U.S. network ABC broadcast Sunday, Clinton said the Obama administration wants the Afghan government to establish a major crimes tribunal and an anti-corruption commission.

15 November 2009 Future U.S.-Afghan Relations  Secretary Clinton Interview With George Stephanopoulos of ABC's This Week.

09 November 2009 U.S., Germany Call for Greater Accountability in Afghanistan  Washington — The United States and Germany called on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to implement measures to deliver services for the people of Afghanistan, root out corruption, and increase accountability and openness in the way the government works. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said at a press conference with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in Berlin that the allies have been very clear with the Afghan government that they are expecting more in good governance, and will develop benchmarks for the government to meet.

04 November 2009 Mullen Urges Afghan President to Stop Corruption  Newly re-elected Afghan President Hamid Karzai must take significant measures to cut government corruption and establish its legitimacy, the top U.S. military officer said.

02 November 2009 Obama Congratulates Afghan President and Urges Internal Reforms President Obama has congratulated Afghan President Hamid Karzai on winning re-election but also called for a “new chapter” to improve Afghan governance and end corruption. Obama also cited a need to increase the ability of Afghan forces to provide security for their own country.

Secretary Clinton: Travel to Pakistan, the Middle East, and Morocco

Secretary Clinton will travel to Marrakesh, Morocco from November 2-3, 2009 to participate in the 6th Forum for the Future.

See also:
 • Secretary Clinton: Travel to Pakistan (State.gov website)
 • Follow the Secretary on DipNote, the State Department's official blog

01 November 2009 Secretary Clinton's Remarks on the Afghanistan Elections

See also:
 • Secretary Clinton: Travel to Pakistan (State.gov website)
 • Follow the Secretary on DipNote, the State Department's official blog

30 October 2009 Secretary Clinton Concludes 3-Day Visit to Pakistan  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today completed a 3-day visit to Pakistan. In her meetings and public events in both Islamabad and Lahore, Secretary Clinton underscored America’s desire to build a broad and deep partnership with Pakistan based on mutual trust and respect that both combats violent extremists and strengthens Pakistan’s democratically elected government and civilian institutions to serve Pakistan’s people.

30 October 2009 Clinton Calls for Strengthened Partnership with Pakistan  The United States seeks to be a partner with Pakistan in economic development and trade, education, health care, energy development and regional security, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. Clinton, who wrapped up a three-day visit to Pakistan October 30, told business leaders at a roundtable discussion in Lahore that the United States is proud and pleased to be Pakistan’s largest trading partner and its largest foreign investor. “We have seen the opportunities for investment and growth,” she added.

30 October 2009 Secretary Clinton's "Townterview" with Prominent Women Journalists in Islamabad, Pakistan

29 October 2009 Clinton Announces Millions in Assistance for Pakistani People  As part of her first visit to Pakistan as secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton announced millions of dollars in U.S. assistance to benefit a variety of the country’s programs and institutions, ranging from humanitarian, education and security assistance to microloans and a cellular-phone social network.

29 October 2009 Town Hall with Secretary Clinton at Government College University

29 October 2009 Secretary Clinton's Travel to the Middle East

28 October 2009 United States Provides $45 Million for Higher Education Commission

28 October 2009 United States Stands with Pakistan Against Violent Extremism

28 October 2009 U.S. Pledges $56 Million for Assistance to Displaced Pakistanis  Funds to support Government of Pakistan’s humanitarian relief efforts.

28 October 2009 Note on U.S. Aid for Pakistan Law Enforcement, Border Security  U.S. provides $103.5 million in support for law enforcement programs.

28 October 2009 Secretary Clinton Remarks With Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi

27 October 2009 On-The-Record Briefing by Secretary Clinton En Route Islamabad, Pakistan

26 October 2009 United States to Triple Number of Civilian Experts in Afghanistan The Obama administration has nearly doubled the number of U.S. civilian experts working in Afghanistan since assuming office and plans to bring the number up to 974 by the end of 2009, according to Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew.

23 October 2009 NATO Looks at Boosting Afghanistan Support, Defense’s Gates Says  Defense Secretary Robert Gates said NATO allies are considering sending more military forces and civilian aid to Afghanistan as President Obama also is considering what course the United States will take there. Gates attended an informal meeting of NATO defense ministers in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 22–23, and Afghanistan was a featured topic on the ministers’ agenda.

20 October 2009 Obama Lauds Afghan President’s Participation in Runoff Vote  Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s agreement to participate in a runoff vote for his country’s presidential election is "an important step forward" toward ensuring a credible electoral process and it strengthens Afghanistan’s democracy, President Obama says. Obama issued a statement October 20 welcoming Karzai’s decision, which came after the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan determined that the incumbent president had received a majority of votes from the August 20 election, but at 49.67 percent had come just short of the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff vote. The second round voting has been scheduled for November 7.

19 October 2009 Secretary Clinton Remarks to the Press  Comments on Afghanistan and Iraq.

19 October 2009 Strategy Review Will Continue to Move Forward, Gates Says>  Questions about the legitimacy of Afghanistan’s national elections are a complicating factor, but President Barack Obama’s strategic review doesn’t hinge on the outcome, and ongoing military operations aren’t being affected, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. The Afghan election issue has “complicated the situation for us,” Gates said, but he said he doesn’t expect it to delay Obama’s decision on the larger issue of charting the way forward in Afghanistan.

07 October 2009 Obama Examining a Range of Strategies for Afghanistan  President Obama and his national security team are examining a range of strategies for achieving long-term security in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in a recent televised interview.

02 October 2009 In Building Schools for Girls, Mountaineer Honors Sister's Memory  Mountain climber turned humanitarian Greg Mortenson says his work of the past decade building schools in remote villages across Pakistan and Afghanistan has taught him one overriding lesson: Westerners can "drop bombs, build roads or put in electricity, but until the girls are educated, a society won’t change."

01 October 2009 Statement on Afghan Legal Professionals Who Will Study in U.S.  The Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan are sponsoring three Afghan legal professionals to complete Master of Laws degrees at Harvard University and Washington and Lee University this fall. Georgetown University also played a role, waiving tuition for one of the students to attend their pre-LL.M. preparatory course last summer.

01 October 2009 Obama Facing Critical Decisions in Afghanistan, Pakistan  President Obama met with his national security team in the White House Situation Room on September 30 to evaluate the progress that has been made and the challenges that lie ahead in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Among the challenges are recent U.S. public-opinion polling numbers that show declining support for continued U.S. military operations in Afghanistan.

29 September 2009 Obama, Rasmussen Consult on Afghanistan Strategy  President Obama and new NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen agreed at a White House meeting that the important thing to do in Afghanistan is first determine the best strategic approach, and then develop the resources to support it. "The first thing is not numbers. It is to find and fine-tune the right approach to implement the strategy already laid down, and all NATO allies are right now looking at [Army General Stanley] McChrystal’s review," said Rasmussen at a brief press conference.

17 September 2009 Statement on Afghanistan Bombing  United States strongly condemns attack in Afghanistan.

16 September 2009 Decision on U.S. Troop Levels in Afghanistan Awaits Assessments  President Obama says he is not going to decide whether to send additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan until assessments are completed of the situation in that country after its August presidential and provincial council elections. Speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the White House, Obama said that along with looking at the situation in the country from a military standpoint, "it’s important that we also do an assessment on the civilian side, the diplomatic side, [and] the development side," as well as "analyze the results of the election" before making new policy decisions.

09 September 2009 Patience Urged as Afghan Fraud Claims Are Investigated  The State Department spokesman says allegations of fraud in Afghanistan’s August 20 presidential and provincial council elections need "a rigorous vetting," and he urged Afghan voters and political leaders to show patience as their country’s independent election institutions deal with the fraud complaints.

04 September 2009 Obama Is Evaluating New Afghanistan Assessment  Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the nation’s senior military leadership are preparing evaluations of a new assessment of the situation in Afghanistan, and the way ahead, for President Obama’s consideration. At a Pentagon press briefing Gates said any request for additional troops and resources for Afghanistan would follow after discussions with the president’s national security team, which includes military leaders, presidential security advisers, key Cabinet officers and Vice President Biden.

02 September 2009 Special Representative Holbrooke on the Afghanistan Elections  Says Holbrooke "We have no candidates and no preference as to whether there is a first-round victory or a runoff. That is for the process to determine. Our advocacy is for a fair process overseen by the Independent Election Commission"

31 August 2009 McChrystal Delivers Assessment to U.S., NATO Leaders  The commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan has completed his assessment of the situation there and has forwarded it to NATO and U.S. leaders, Defense Department officials said today. Speaking to reporters during a visit to a Lockheed-Martin F-35 plant in Fort Worth, Texas, today, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he has not yet seen Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal’s assessment, but expects to read it in the next day or two.

24 August 2009 U.S. Military Official Says Afghanistan Still Vulnerable  Afghanistan is still vulnerable to the threat of insurgents regaining control of the country, and the threat is not going to go away, says Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

21 August 2009 Obama Praises Courage and Dignity of Afghan Voters  While results are not yet known in Afghanistan’s presidential and provincial council elections, President Obama says the vote was “an important step forward” for the Afghan people in taking control of their country’s future in the face of threats from violent extremists.
 •  Remarks by the President on the Recent Elections in Afghanistan

20 August 2009 Obama Pledges Increased Pressure in Afghanistan  President Barack Obama pledged today to keep ramping up pressure on insurgents in Afghanistan, citing developments aimed at “squeezing them from both sides” to ultimately “flush them out.”

18 August 2009 Security Forces Working to Assure Afghans of Election Safety  The general charged with coordinating the contributions to security for Afghanistan’s August 20 national elections by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) says the biggest question facing the country is whether its people have the confidence and the will to participate in the democratic process in the face of threats from violent extremists.

17 August 2009 Afghan War ‘Fundamental’ to U.S. Defense, Obama Tells VFW  Terrorists who attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, are plotting to do so again, so defeating them is “fundamental to the defense of our people,” President Barack Obama told veterans at the annual Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Phoenix.
 •  Remarks by the President

17 August 2009 Afghan Elections Essential Step in Defeating Taliban Insurgents   The Afghanistan national elections scheduled for August 20 are essential to give legitimacy to the government and are critical for defeating the Taliban, who are struggling to regain a foothold as millions of Afghans register to vote in advance of the elections, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke says.

14 August 2009 Afghan Elections Essential Step in Defeating Taliban Insurgents  The Afghanistan national elections scheduled for August 20 are essential to give legitimacy to the government and are critical for defeating the Taliban, who are struggling to regain a foothold as millions of Afghans register to vote in advance of the elections, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke says.

13 August 2009 New Afghan Assessment Will Not Address Additional U.S. Forces  Defense Secretary Robert Gates says a new assessment of the military situation in Afghanistan will not contain specific recommendations for additional ground forces from the U.S. and NATO commander, Army General Stanley McChrystal.

11 August 2009 U.S., Afghan Engineers Join Together to Build Roads  In 2007, two engineers — Abdul Hadi Rakin of the U.S.-based Society of Afghan Engineers and Michael Goode of the American Society of Civil Engineers — travelled to Afghanistan to assess the country's infrastructure and develop a proposal for engineer training at Kabul University. They found that, despite roads and power systems that had suffered from neglect during years of war, a number of Afghan engineering and construction companies were already working to restore the infrastructure.

10 August 2009 Afghan Transit Agreement Means Closer U.S.-Russia Cooperation  The recent accord allowing the transport of U.S. troops and combat materials through Russian air space en route to Afghanistan not only will speed deployments and cut costs, but also set the stage for expanded cooperation in other security areas, say top U.S. defense officials.

06 August 2009 Afghans Taking Lead on Election Security, Fighting Violations  Afghanistan's elections for its next president and the members of its provincial councils will be the country's first "truly contested" vote, says a U.S. official who is working with Afghan election officials to ensure that the vote will be inclusive, secure and credible.

29 July 2009 Clinton: Early Afghan Field Reports Are Encouraging   Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said resolution of the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan is to be found in a comprehensive military, political and economic strategy.

29 July 2009 U.S. Scraps Afghan Crop Eradication in Favor of Interdiction   The Obama administration’s decision to eliminate poppy eradication in Afghanistan in favor of increasing drug interdiction efforts and assistance to Afghan farmers is beginning to show results, according to U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke.
 •  Special Briefing By Special Representative Richard Holbrooke on Trip to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Brussels

28 July 2009 Women Indispensable to Elections, Democratization in Afghanistan  "Women are an indispensable component to democracy in Afghanistan," serving important roles as candidates and voters in the nation's August 20 elections, says Vasu Mohan, deputy director for the Europe and Asia program of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that runs projects on democracy in 30 countries. An election is not just an event, Mohan explained, but "the seed of long-term democratic behavior. When women are politically involved, they reinforce this behavior because of their influence within the family and in larger society."

01 July 2009 Ambassador Urges Robust Afghan Debate on Women's Issues  As campaigning for Afghanistan’s August 20 presidential and provincial elections moves forward, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues urges a credible, inclusive and secure campaign for all candidates and a vigorous debate on issues of concern to their female constituents.

10 June 2009 Envoy Holbrooke Briefs on Recent Trip to Pakistan, Gulf States  Highlights current situation, emphasizes internally displaced persons.

19 May 2009 Humanitarian Aid to Pakistan  “the people of the United States are responding to a request for assistance from the Government of Pakistan with more than $100 million in humanitarian support”.

11 May 2009 Statement on New U.S. Military Leadership in Afghanistan  Change is part of new policy direction, not criticism of General McKiernan.

11 May 2009 Press Conference with Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen on Leadership Changes in Afghanistan From the Pentagon

07 May 2009 Recognition Grows of Pakistan, Afghanistan as Regional Problem  The Obama administration's review of U.S. policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan has led to wider recognition that the security challenges posed by the Taliban and al-Qaida are a regional problem and require a common front, President Obama's national security advisor told reporters.

06 May 2009 “Unprecedented Cooperation” in Pakistan, Afghanistan Talks  Meetings involving Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari with President Obama and other officials of the United States in Washington have “advanced unprecedented cooperation” between the two South Asian nations, Obama said, to the benefit of all three countries.
 • Remarks by the President after the Trilateral Meeting
 • Briefing by National Security Advisor General James Jones on the President's Meetings with Presidents Karzai and Zardari
 • Briefing by Secretary Clinton & White House Press Secretary

07 May 2009 U.S.-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Consultations II  Remarks by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari

05 May 2009 Obama Seeks Close Coordination with Afghan, Pakistani Leaders  The presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan are arriving for meetings with President Obama and other senior U.S. officials to try to develop closer trilateral coordination against terrorism and to address the impact of the global economic crisis in their countries.

05 May 2009 Pakistan’s Security Seen as Vital to U.S. National Security  The hallmarks of U.S. engagement with Pakistan must be constancy and consistency to assure a strong partnership in the fight against Taliban extremists, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke says.

04 May 2009 United States Must Do More to Help Pakistan  The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff says he is concerned about the progress the Taliban insurgency has had in Pakistan and believes the United States must do more over the next two years to help the Pakistani government and armed forces succeed in curbing the Taliban.

23 April 2009 Progress in Afghanistan Depends on Progress in Pakistan  Progress in suppressing a revived Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan depends on bringing stability and security to Pakistan, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. Testifying at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Clinton said the Obama administration is "deeply concerned by the increasing insurgency that is destabilizing Pakistan." There have been a series of meetings with the Pakistani government, civilian and military leaders, and Afghan leaders about the threat posed by the extremist Taliban insurgency that is gaining strong footholds in both countries.

21 April 2009 Eager to Learn About the World, Tech Savvy Afghans Turn to Blogs  Tech-savvy Afghans increasingly are turning to blogs for information about their country and the world. They also use blogs as a platform for telling their stories about Afghanistan to the world, says Nasim Fekrat, one of Afghanistan's trailblazing bloggers.

06 April 2009 NATO Renews Commitment to Afghanistan's Future  The 28-nation NATO alliance celebrated its 60th anniversary by pledging renewed resolve in its mission to help Afghanistan root out terrorist safe havens and to balance collective defense with emerging security challenges.

31 March 2009 New Afghan-Pakistan Plan a Comprehensive Strategy, Obama Says  America's new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan is focused on dismantling terrorist networks but will employ a wide array of tactics, from strengthening regional security forces to a renewed focus on diplomacy, development and international cooperation, says President Obama.

30 March 2009 Statement on Afghanistan’s Supreme Court Ruling  United States strongly supports ruling on continuation of Karzai’s term.

27 March 2009 A New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan   Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
 • Press Briefing on New Strategy for Afghanistan, Pakistan
 • White Paper of the Interagency Policy Group's Report on U.S. Policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan

19 March 2009 Stabilizing Afghanistan Common Challenge for America and Iran  In two conferences in March, American and Iranian diplomats will focus on a shared challenge: making new progress on promoting security and development in Afghanistan and the Pakistan border region.

10 March 2009 NATO Allies Share Vital Interest in Stabilizing Afghanistan  America and its NATO allies share “a vital security interest” in forging a common, comprehensive approach to stabilizing Afghanistan, says Vice President Biden.
 • Remarks by Vice President Biden at NATO Press Conference

09 March 2009 Biden Seeks European Perspectives on Afghan-Pakistan Strategy  Vice President Biden is heading to Brussels to seek advice from America’s allies as the White House formulates a new way forward for international efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.

26 February 2009 Clinton Remarks at Meeting with Afghan, Pakistani Officials  Officials discuss strategic issues and exchange views

23 February 2009 Allies Agree to Boost Afghanistan Aid   America’s allies remain firmly committed to the international effort to stabilize Afghanistan, says Defense Secretary Robert Gates, as seen in pledges from 20 countries to increase security assistance and development aid.

17 February 2009 Obama Orders First New Troops to Afghanistan  President Obama has ordered 17,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan to stabilize deteriorating security conditions as his administration works with allies and regional partners to formulate a comprehensive recovery strategy for the shattered South Asian nation.
 • Statement by President Obama on Afghanistan

13 February 2009 Top U.S. Commander Considers Road Ahead in Afghanistan  Stabilizing Afghanistan will take an intensified international commitment to securing and serving the Afghan people, says U.S. Army General David Petraeus. "Together with our Afghan partners, we have to work to provide the people security, to give them respect, to gain their support, and to facilitate the provision of basic services," Petraeus told world leaders and top diplomats attending the Munich Conference on Security Policy February 8.

11 February 2009 Analysis: Afghanistan Needs the World's Help  The world cannot afford to abandon the people of Afghanistan, says President Obama, who is calling for an intensified global effort to help its people eliminate terrorist safe havens and rebuild their shattered nation after decades of conflict. During his presidential campaign, Obama identified the stabilization of Afghanistan as a top U.S. foreign policy priority.

January 2009

29 January 2009 Afghanistan Troop Buildup a 'Delicate' Endeavor, Spokesman Says

27 January 2009 Defense Secretary Gates Says Afghanistan Is Significant Challenge  President Obama considers Afghanistan the “greatest military challenge” facing the United States as it works against an aggressive Taliban insurgency to bring peace and security, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says.

26 January 2009 Chemical Weapons Destruction Efforts in Afghanistan

23 January 2009 U.S. Sending Agriculture Development Teams to Afghanistan  The U.S. is sending teams of U.S. Army National Guardsmen to Afghanistan to bolster security, but also to enhance the country's farming economy, senior Pentagon officials say. The concept came from the National Guardsmen themselves.

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