By Phil Stewart and Susan CornwellWashington - Violence in Afghanistan will likely climb in the short-term, along with internal government turmoil, US General David Petraeus told Congress on Wednesday, urging lawmakers to reserve judgment for a full year on President Barack Obama's new war strategy.
Petraeus, who as head of US Central Command is in charge of drawing down forces in Iraq and overseeing a new surge of 30 000 US troops in Afghanistan, said he expected increased fighting in Afghanistan in the spring and the summer.
He also said the Afghan government's expected moves to combat corruption likely would result in "greater turmoil within the government as malign actors are identified and replaced".
"It will be important, therefore, to withhold judgment on the success or failure of the strategy in Afghanistan until next December, as the president has counselled," Petraeus said.
Petraeus, who in his previous role as the top Iraq commander oversaw a surge of forces in 2007 that was credited with helping pull that country back from the brink, cautioned that progress in Afghanistan would not be as quick as in Iraq.
"Achieving progress in Afghanistan will be hard and the progress there likely will be slower in developing than was the progress achieved in Iraq," Petraeus said.
The general, a favourite among Republicans who had a high public profile under former president George Bush, was the latest US official to go before Congress to defend Obama's new war strategy announced last week.
Petraeus expressed his full support for Obama's plan and called success in Afghanistan "necessary and attainable".
All of the additional 30 000 US forces are expected to be deployed by the summer or fall, aiming to reverse Taliban momentum and allow for a gradual withdrawal starting in July 2011, according to Obama's plan. The United States already has about 68 000 troops in Afghanistan. - Reuters
"It will be important, therefore, to withhold judgment on the success or failure of the strategy in Afghanistan until next December, as the president has counselled," Petraeus said.
Petraeus, who in his previous role as the top Iraq commander oversaw a surge of forces in 2007 that was credited with helping pull that country back from the brink, cautioned that progress in Afghanistan would not be as quick as in Iraq.
"Achieving progress in Afghanistan will be hard and the progress there likely will be slower in developing than was the progress achieved in Iraq," Petraeus said.
The general, a favourite among Republicans who had a high public profile under former president George Bush, was the latest US official to go before Congress to defend Obama's new war strategy announced last week.
Petraeus expressed his full support for Obama's plan and called success in Afghanistan "necessary and attainable".
All of the additional 30 000 US forces are expected to be deployed by the summer or fall, aiming to reverse Taliban momentum and allow for a gradual withdrawal starting in July 2011, according to Obama's plan. The United States already has about 68 000 troops in Afghanistan. - Reuters
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