By: The Kabul Times
KABUL: The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani met with a number of the country’s retired security and defense forces generals and officers at the Presidential Palace, a statement from the Presidential Press Office said Wednesday.
The country’s President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, heard their analysis and suggestions, the statement received by The Kabul Times. At the meeting, held at the Salam Khana of the Presidential Palace, Noorul Haq Olumi, the president’s representative for good governance, said that under the current hard situation they should all stand by the security and defense forces.
He said the country’s retired officers are always ready to serve the people and defend their country’s territorial integrity and national interests, the statement quoted. Then, Brig General Abdul Raziq Bek, Brig. General Seyyed Mohammad Samar Sadat, Brig. General Mirza Mohammad Yarmand, General Daulat Waziri and Colonel Hasib Arian spoke on the issue saying that they are ready to serve in the face of proxy war and defend the country’s independence.
They also shared their plans and suggestions with the President for further strengthening the country’s security and defense forces, mobilizing local uprisings and financing, equipping and reforming them in war on the country’s enemy.
“The defense and survival of the republicanism is the defense and survival of Afghanistan, and our security and defense forces are fighting bravely for it, and we support our armed forces with our life, property, blood, knowledge and determination,” they said.
The speakers stated that the Taliban had misused Allah-u-Akbar, that the people had taken away this holy slogan from them, and that they had left the Taliban unmotivated and helpless, the statement quoted. After hearing their speeches and suggestions, President Ghani thanked them for their good feelings, knowledge, analysis, plan and commitment, and said that this gave hope to all the people of the country. “You saw that the people responded to the Taliban treason with the calling of Allah-u-Akbar [God is the greatest],” the country’s president said as quoted by the statement.
“The war of the Taliban is the war against Afghanistan, national values, traditions and the security and defense forces and we are proud that the people have unprecedentedly supported our forces and are fighting the Taliban with all their might,” he said adding his efforts for strengthening the security and defense and for apolitical forces continue.
The president noted that boards will be established within the Ministry of Defense, along with the Command-in-Chief, at the level of the Ministry of Defense and relevant departments, to use the knowledge, analysis and experiences of the retired generals and officers.
The president said that in order to defend the country, 11 billion Afghanis will be reduced from the civil budget to focus well on the better and more efficient use of the resources. “Recruiting to the ranks of the security and defense forces is one of our important priorities, because the people do not want militarization, but the strengthening of the security and defense forces,” the statement concluded quoting the president.
