Russian news agency Interfax
November 21
he US military leadership is satisfied with the
results of the current operation in Afghanistan, Commander-in-Chief of the
US Central Command Gen Tommy Franks said at a press conference in Tashkent
on Wednesday [21 November].
He said the goal of his visit to Tashkent was to visit US military personnel. He also said that in Tashkent he held talks with Uzbek Defence Minister Qodir Ghulomov.
Franks said that on Tuesday evening he visited Afghanistan and the military base in Bagram.
He said he was satisfied with the ongoing anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, noting that considerable progress has been made in the past 10 days. But there are tasks that are still to be accomplished, he said.
Franks said that in Bagram he met with representatives of the Northern Alliance to discuss the current situation and the coordination of operations by the US forces located in Afghanistan.
The US military was not surprised by the quickness of the fall of the Taleban regime, he said. No deadline has ever been set for the operation, but it is proceeding according to a definite schedule, he said, adding that the removal of the Taleban is an intermediate goal and that the main goal is to eradicate terrorism, which is a global threat to peace.
Franks did not say how the next stages in the operation will proceed. He noted, however, that they will involve ground troops and the Navy. It will be a combined operation that will include the seizure of the terrorists' financial accounts, he said.
He announced that he has no information concerning the death of the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Juma Namangoniy, who fought on the side of the Taleban.
The possibility of increasing the American presence in Uzbekistan and the involvement of the Uzbek military in operations in Afghanistan was not discussed with Uzbek leaders, he said, noting that he is counting on broader military cooperation between Uzbekistan and the US in the future.
When asked if the international coalition will ensure the security of the Uzbek border from the Afghan side, Franks said that talks on this issue are in progress and that the danger threatening Uzbekistan from Afghanistan will be reduced to a minimum.