KABUL - General John Allen, the outgoing chief US commander in Afghanistan, on Saturday said that the uncertainty of the Afghan people about their future is his biggest concern as he leaves after 19 months leading the military forces fighting insurgency in Afghanistan.
Speaking to TOLOnews on his last day in the country, the US Marine General said the Afghans' lack of confidence in their future stems from the ongoing conflict and the government's failure to tackle corruption and build capacity.
"My biggest concern? It is uncertainty," he replied when asked what concerns he leaves behind.
"There is uncertainty right now because we are still in a conflict. And yes, there is uncertainty because we haven't achieved all we would like to achieve in terms of governmental capacity and countering corruption," he added.
However, Allen encouraged the country to look at the progress that has been made.
"The Afghan people need to take stock of how far they have come in the last 11 years. The difference between 2001 and 2013 is so dramatic it's almost breathtaking. But that only is the beginning in my mind of where Afghanistan can go."
Allen has commanded the US and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan since mid-2011 in a mission that he described as his greatest moment in his life and one he was proud to be part of.
"To be associated in any way with an outcome that can improve [Afghans'] lives and give Afghanistan a hope has been a great honor for me," he said.
"And yes, there have been challenges. I believe the campaign in and of itself has made great accomplishments in terms of moving Afghanistan towards a more secure and ultimately a stable society. Within that period of time there has been occasions where I have gone to see families, where I have gone to see the president, I have spoken with leaders in your government during some of those difficult times and I have apologized to the Afghan people for our actions. None of those actions were ever undertaken intentionally, where we have inflicted harm, where we have created tragedy," he added.
Allen praised the progress of the Afghan National Security Force in becoming a permanent fixture in the security of Afghanistan saying he is confident that they will be able to protect the country during the presidential elections in 2014 when they will be even more prepared for combat operations.
"Multiple threat streams are coming at Kabul every single day – 365 days a year. That the fact there aren't attacks every single day is a direct reason and a derivative of the fact that the Afghan National Security Forces are in fact doing their job so well. Now, there is the old saying that we have to be right every time; they only have to be right once," Allen said.
"I think the Taliban recognize that they're going to need to determine whether this Afghan National Security Force has credibility. So we should anticipate the Taliban are going to come at the Afghan National Security Forces. I absolutely believe that they can handle it. They handled it last year, they are handling now and they are getting better every day."
Allen said he believes Pakistan is recognizing Afghanistan's growing military capacity and the benefits of a "constructive military to military relationship".
After several trips to meet with the Pakistani army chief Gen Parviz Ashfaq Keyani, Allen said the conversations have increasingly been about shared capabilities "ultimately to reduce the terrorists threat along the border to the benefit of both countries".
"I believe that Pakistan ultimately sees that Afghanistan has the potential of being a secure and stable country with a democratically elected government, it sits on the top of trillions of dollars of natural resources. I believe that Pakistan sees that it's in its national interests to be of some value, ultimately, to facilitate the stability in Afghanistan," he said. (Tolo News)