Noting that it took years for insurgency to gain ground in Afghanistan, US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that terrorism in the region cannot be expected to be defeated so soon.
"Insurgency in Afghanistan didn't just happen overnight and we won't defeat it overnight. This will not be quick, nor easy," Obama said in his address at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.
Observing that Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan would enable al Qaeda to plan more attacks like 9/11, the US President said the war against terror is necessary for the defence of the people.
"This is a war of necessity. Those who attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which Al Qaida would plot to kill more Americans. So, this is not only a war worth fighting, this is fundamental to the defence of our people," he said.
Referring to the comprehensive Af-Pak strategy announced by his administration early this year, Obama said the strategy recognises that al Qaeda and its allies have shifted their base from Afghanistan to remote, tribal areas of Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}Referring to the comprehensive Af-Pak strategy announced by his administration early this year, Obama said the strategy recognises that al Qaeda and its allies have shifted their base from Afghanistan to remote, tribal areas of Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}