BRUSSELS, July 19, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- The European Union's special representative in Afghanistan, the veteran Spanish diplomat Francesc Vendrell, says the true test of the strength of the insurgency in Afghanistan's south will come in the autumn.
| The dreaded fall offensive. Then the brutal Afghan winter. Then the dreaded spring offensive. |
Briefing journalists at EU headquarters in Brussels today, Vendrell said the Afghan government together with the EU and other foreign supporters has until October or November to persuade a skeptical Afghan public it is able to create security in the country's lawless hinterland.
| Get that man some hand lotion! |
Vendrell, who has a long history of dealing with Afghanistan, began his briefing by saying that the situation in Afghanistan "has never been good" since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. He noted that "summers are always hot" in the country and ascribed much of the recent pessimism associated especially with Afghanistan's south to the heightened sensitivities of Western media and governments.
| Outstanding command of the obvious, that's why he's a diplomat ... |
Vendrell said the upsurge of fighting that has followed the deployment of thousands of British, Canadian, Dutch, and other troops of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in the provinces of Helmand and Kandahar did not come unexpected. He said ISAF now has until the autumn to show it can defeat the Taliban and create a "political and security space" to allow reconstruction to take place.
| After which the brutal Afghan winter will set in. |
"We are lucky in the sense that we have an excellent ISAF commander, General David Richards, who is probably one of the best things that has happened to Afghanistan," Vendrell added. "I think that he and we have a strategy to deal with this issue, we will have to see at the end of the year what are the results."
Addressing broader themes, Vendrell said the EU and other foreign donors must contribute more to help train the Afghan police force and help upgrade its often substandard equipment. He said both the lack of proper training and equipment were evident during the recent riots in Kabul.
| The typical EU response is to note that they've already given at the office. |
Vendrell also commended the removal of the country's conservative chief justice, whose views he described as belonging to "the Paleolithic Age." The EU envoy said his replacement is a "modern and educated" person whose nomination opens up the prospect of progress in improving Afghanistan's justice system.
| So he's not completely blind. |
The EU envoy appeared to downplay Pakistan's significance in respect of Afghanistan's problems. He said there was "no doubt" that the Taliban can use Pakistani territory, adding though that "whether this is something the Pakistani government can control is another matter."
| All true without getting to the heart of it, which is that the Taliban is a Pak-sponsored, Pak-led organization. |
Vendrell said Pakistan should do more to rein in the Taliban, but cautioned that excessive pressure could "overburden" Pakistan, which faces growing problems of its own in tribal areas.
The EU diplomat also recalled that President Pervez Musharraf is an somewhat ally in the global fight against terrorism, and that he "has been forthcoming on issues regarding Al-Qaeda and also inclined to restrain militant elements in Kashmir. So, we can't overburden Pakistan."
Vendrell dismissed suggestions that Afghanistan itself could be a cause of concern for Pakistan with its possible interference in Baluchistan or elsewhere. He noted Afghanistan in its present state would be "in no position" to foment separatism in Pakistan. |