USA: Defense Secretary Robert Gates tells a Senate panel that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said privately he intends to step down in 2014

Record ID: 166575

  • Title: USA: Defense Secretary Robert Gates tells a Senate panel that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said privately he intends to step down in 2014
  • Date: 16th June 2011
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JUNE 15, 2011) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES AND CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN AT SENATE HEARING WIDE OF SENATE PANEL (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES SAYING: "If you talk to our commanders, if you talk to the people I talk to, he is somebody who understand the campaign plan, who understands the importance of our role, who wants a long-term U.S. relationship with Afghanistan after he is president - he told me he plans to step down in 2014 - I will tell you, both our military people and our diplomats are in touch with a very broad range of Afghan leaders." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SENATOR FROM VERMONT PATRICK LEAHY SAYING (English): "How long do we support governments that lie to us, when do we say enough is enough. Secretary Gates, I'll start with you." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES SAYING: "Well, first of all, I would say, based on 27 years in CIA and four-and-a-half years in this job, most governments lie to each other, that's the way business gets done." LEAHY: "Do they also arrest the people who helped us when they say they are allies." GATES: "Sometimes." LEAHY: "Not often" GATES: "And sometimes they send people to spy on us, and they are our close allies." LEAHY: "And we give aid to them." GATES: "So, that's the real world that we deal with." LEAHY LISTENING TO MULLEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN SAYING: "Seeking to support stability in that part of the world to the degree that these two countries (Afghanistan and Pakistan) can evolve, is, I think, a goal that we must continue to pursue or the danger associated with a country that's got a nuclear arsenal that lives next to a country they view as an existential threat, it's just a matter of time before we're back." SENATOR ASKING QUESTIONS GATES AND MULLEN AT HEARING
  • Embargoed: 1st July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA36YBTYLZP60GW7YBU90GU0S4T
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Hamid Karzai has said privately he intends to step down in 2014 as president of Afghanistan as required by the country's constitution, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a Senate panel on Wednesday (June 15).
    Afghanistan's constitution limits a president to two terms in office but there has been talk in the past that Karzai might attempt to change the rules to allow him to stay in office longer. Gates waved aside that speculation and said Karzai looked forward to a long-term U.S. relationship with Afghanistan even after he stepped down from the presidency.
    "If you talk to the people I talk to, he is somebody who understand the campaign plan, who understands the importance of our role, who wants a long-term U.S. relationship with Afghanistan after he is president - he told me he plans to step down in 2014."
    Gates comments about Karzai came at a Senate appropriations hearing where he addressed news reports about Pakistan's crackdown on five informants who helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden. Gates dismissed the reports, telling senators "most governments lie to each other."
    "That's the way business gets done. Sometimes they send people to spy on us, and they are our close allies. That's the real world that we deal with."
    Gates was responding to sharp comments by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, who questioned why the United States continued to support the Pakistani government.
    Admiral Mike Mullen struck a cautious note, warning against U.S. withdrawing support from Pakistan amid escalating tensions following the capture and killing of bin Laden on Pakistani soil.
    "Seeking to support stability in that part of the world to the degree that these two countries (Afghanistan and Pakistan) can evolve, is, I think, a goal that we must continue to pursue or the danger associated with a country that's got a nuclear arsenal that lives next to a country they view as an existential threat, it's just a matter of time before we're back," Mullen told senators.
    The fate of the CIA informants remains unclear. One of the detainees was reported to be a Pakistani Army major who officials said copied license plates of cars visiting the al Qaeda leader's compound 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Islamabad.
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