Top US security man sceptical about Afghan troop build-up: Spiegel

Nov 7, 2009, 13:26 GMT

Hamburg - The top White House national security adviser General James Jones has voiced strong scepticism about boosting troop levels in Afghanistan, warning that the conflict could 'swallow them up,' the German weekly Der Spiegel reports in its latest edition.

In an interview, Jones was commenting on Afghanistan commanding General Stanley McChrystal for a further 40,000 soldiers in the face of the battle against a resurgent Taliban.

'Generals always ask for more troops. Take it from me,' Jones, who is President Barack Obama's national security adviser, said in remarks carried Saturday on Spiegel's online site.

'I believe we will not solve the problem with troops alone. The minimum number is important, of course. But there is no maximum number, however,' he argued.

'You can keep on putting troops in, and you could have 200,000 troops there and Afghanistan will swallow them up as it has done in the past,' Jones added in remarks certain to heat up the debate in the US about the best strategy course for the Afghan conflict.

In the Spiegel interview, Jones argued that instead of engaging in so-called nation-building by the foreign forces, responsibility must be transferred as soon as possible to Afghanistan.

'We need a better plan with the allies to gradually turn over responsibility for the country to Afghan institutions and organizations in as short a time as possible,' he said.

Jones said he did not know when troop withdrawals might be possible.

'I don't know when that will be. But I do know that our president and other leaders are very insistent on doing everything that we can to make sure that it happens sooner rather than later. That we can in fact, begin to turn over responsibility to the Afghans.'

Spiegel said Jones in the interview emphasized several times that it was now time for Kabul to take care of the country.

'If they want the promise of a democratic society and peace and stability, better opportunities for their children then this government and all of the governors have to do a much better job than they have done so far,' he said.