The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the 9/11 commemoration ceremony on Wednesday said that the alliance still remains committed to Afghanistan where soon after 9/11, hundreds of thousands of troops were deployed from Europe, Canada and beyond and have served shoulder-to-shoulder with US troops.
“The fight against terrorism is a global, generational fight. We remain committed to Afghanistan. NATO Allies and partners will continue to train and advise Afghan security forces,” Mr. Stoltenberg said. “To make them stronger, so that they can fight international terrorism and create security and stability in their own country.”
“Many have paid the ultimate price. And many more have been seriously wounded. We remember them. And we must make sure that their sacrifice was not in vain,” he said.
Mr. Stoltenberg said the NATO troops presence in Afghanistan is to create the conditions for peace but the road to peace is long and hard.
“NATO also fights terrorism beyond Afghanistan. In Iraq, we train the armed forces to ensure that they can prevent Daesh from coming back. And we work with partners across the Middle East and North Africa,” he said.
He said that “on 9/11, terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers. But they will never destroy our way of life. Our free and open societies.”
