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THE STANS
Petraeus: 'Fight hard' in Afghanistan but 'be a good guest'

US senators want to vet long-term Afghan role
Any agreement setting up a long-term US military presence in Afghanistan should go to the US Senate for ratification, two senators urged President Barack Obama in a letter released Wednesday. "Any such agreements carry the weight of a treaty and should be submitted to the Senate for its advice and consent in keeping with constitutional requirements," wrote Democratic Senators Russ Feingold and Jim Webb. The lawmakers noted that a US-Iraq accord setting up a long-term strategic relationship did not go to the Senate, which is constitutionally charged with ratifying formal treaties negotiated by the president. "This set a damaging precedent that should not be repeated in Afghanistan," they warned. Obama has set a July 2011 date for starting a withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, but has not set an endpoint for the pull-out and is expected to seek some sort of accord allowing US forces to operate there for years. "We do not believe that a long-term, open-ended presence of US military forces in Afghanistan serves our national interest," the senators wrote. "Most importantly, we believe that any consideration of such a prospect must be taken with the full advice and consent of the Senate." Feingold has called on Obama -- who supported a similar push for the Senate to sign off on a so-called status of forces agreement with Iraq -- to set a flexible timetable for withdrawal.
by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) July 28, 2010
A new set of Afghan counterinsurgency guidelines issued by General David Petraeus includes the instruction to "be a good guest" but urges troops to "fight hard" and get tough on corruption.

The three-page manifesto, dated July 27 and issued in Kabul, is a blueprint for the behavior of members of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, led by Petraeus.

Excerpts of the 24-point document include:

"Secure and serve the population. Only by providing them security and earning their trust... can the Afghan government and ISAF prevail.

"Live with the people: Position joint bases and combat posts as close to those we're seeking to secure as is feasible.

"Confront the culture of impunity: The Taliban are not the only enemy of the people. The people are also threatened by inadequate governance, corruption and abuse of power -- the Taliban's best recruiters.

"Fight hard and fight with discipline: Hunt the enemy aggressively but use only the firepower needed to win a fight. We... cannot kill or capture our way to victory. Moreover, if we kill civilians or damage their property in the course of our operations, we will create more enemies than our operations eliminate. That's exactly what the Taliban want. Don't fall into their trap.

"Identify and confront corrupt officials. President (Hamid) Karzai has said, 'My government is committed to fighting corruption with all means possible.' Help the government achieve that aim.

"Be a good guest. Treat the Afghan people and their property with respect."

Petraeus took over command of more than 140,000 US and NATO troops in Afghanistan on July 4 from General Stanley McChrystal.

McChrystal was removed last month after he and his aides showed disdain for administration officials -- and President Barack Obama -- in a Rolling Stone magazine profile.

Obama has said he wants to begin drawing down troops in mid-2011, creating a timetable for the Afghan security forces to be able to take responsibility from the foreign forces.



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THE STANS
Two Italian soldiers killed in Afghanistan bomb attack
Kabul (AFP) July 28, 2010
Two Italian soldiers were killed in a bomb attack Wednesday in the west of Afghanistan, the NATO-led force said. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement the two were killed by an improvised explosive device, the Taliban's weapon of choice, but did not give the location of the attack. "I can confirm they were Italian soldiers," an ISAF spokesman told AFP. ... read more







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