U.S. Envoy To U.N. Defends Extensive Afghan Review

ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

MICHELE NORRIS, host:

And I'm Michele Norris.

Yesterday, we aired a special hour on what's next for Afghanistan. The voice we heard from the Obama administration was Susan Rice. She's the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Yesterday, she talked with us about U.S. strategic interest in Afghanistan. Now, we're going to hear more from her about the U.S. decision on troop levels and the challenges for the U.N. working in Afghanistan. The U.N. is withdrawing some of its foreign staff after last week's attack on a guest house. Ambassador Rice says the U.N. remains committed to Afghanistan.

Ambassador SUSAN RICE (United States Ambassador to the United Nations): The attack on the U.N. guest house last week was a deliberate and targeted attack on the United Nations. And it caused the U.N. quite rightly to review the security posture for all of its personnel inside of Afghanistan. As a result of that review, it's made the determination that on a very short-term temporary basis, it will relocate some staff within Afghanistan and another portion outside of the country briefly until they can shore up their security operations. Most of those who will deploy outside of Afghanistan temporarily are administrative and support personnel, not those essential to the frontline operation. And those essential operations will continue.

NORRIS: This is happening though at a time when the government is relying on the U.S. for a certain degree of support, where there's an effort to try to recruit for the Afghan security forces and also the Afghan police. Does it send a mixed message?

Amb. RICE: No, I think it is dealing with reality. We need the U.N. to be effective and it's going to continue to do that. But if it is vulnerable to attack, that's not sustainable.

NORRIS: Why is the current strategy review taking so long?

Amb. RICE: Well, the current strategy review, Michele, comes out of an announcement the president made in March, when he rolled out the new administration's approach to Afghanistan and Pakistan. And he said at that time that after the Afghan elections in August, we would review where we are and take a look at our goals, the means to achieve those goals and the resources required. And that's what we're doing. The Afghan election was far more messy and complicated than some might have anticipated. It is now coming to a point of clarity with the certification of President Karzai's election.

But I have to say, as a participant in these negotiations, Michele, this is a very thoughtful and thorough, comprehensive decision-making process; looking at not only the military aspects but the civilian, the political, the economic. And that's what we need.

NORRIS: I spoke earlier with the former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Ronald Neumann. He said that there's a very high price for the deliberation on this decision. He said, the price is a perception of weakness. He said if the U.S. does anything short of what General McChrystal has called for - sending an additional 40,000 troops - that it will send a signal that the U.S. is not fully committed. What do you say to that?

Amb. RICE: Well, I think that's a false assumption. What would be weak and dangerous, indeed, would be to rush into a decision of this magnitude without thoroughly considering all of the implications for U.S. national security, without taking into account the posture and the capacity of the Afghan government; indeed, what is happening in Pakistan as well. It is wise and beneficial to our interests, and I think projects a wisdom and a strength rather than weakness that we have a commander-in-chief who is committed to insuring that the choices he makes about putting American lives at risk are the product of the most thoughtful, careful and deliberate decision-making process possible. And that's what we're doing. And as a consequence, the outcome will be to the benefit of the American people.

NORRIS: During the campaign, President Obama emphasized the need to internationalize America's role in the world, to end the go-it-alone tone of the previous administration. But many of our foreign partners seem to be losing their patience in Afghanistan. So, Ambassador, I'm wondering how concerned you are that this might become a less international effort, and turn into exactly the kind of unilateral American involvement that President Obama wanted this country to move beyond?

Amb. RICE: Well, Michele, in fact, over the last several months since President Obama has come to office we've seen additional commitments from our allied forces of some 7,000 troops. We've had some of our European partners indicate that they would be willing to consider additional contributions. They're also making massive contributions to the civilian side of the operation, as well as financial resources. The government support in our allied countries remains strong. And that's why we continue to work with them closely, as we go through this examination of strategy and our approach to the new situation in Afghanistan.

NORRIS: Ambassador Rice, always good to talk to you. Thank you very much.

Amb. RICE: Good to be with you, Michele.

NORRIS: Susan Rice, she's the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.