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FORWARD OPERATING BASE FARAH, Afghanistan – The senior U.S. civilian representative in western Afghanistan, U.S. Consul General, Jillian Burns, met with Farah leadership here, April 10-11. The visit was hosted by Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah and afforded Burns the opportunity to meet with Farah Provincial Governor Mohammed Akram Khpalwak, the Farah Provincial Council and civilian and military members of the PRT.
Burns’ primary reason for the visit was to express the U.S. government’s condolences and provide support to Khpalwak and his leadership team; her arrival coming just one week after a terrorist attack in Farah city that claimed the lives of over 40 Farahi civilians and injured over 100 more.
“Attacks on Afghan civilians are indicative of the true nature of the terrorists,” said Burns. “It was important to visit the leadership of the province to share our deepest condolences after last week’s attack and to encourage them to continue to do the good work that they are doing for the people of Farah.”
A key event on Burns’ visit was a dinner at Khpalwak’s compound in Farah City with the PRT’s civilian and military leadership, Ray Sudweeks and U.S. Navy Cmdr. Louis McCray, along with U.S. Navy Capt. Trenton Lennard, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Forward Officer in Charge. Afghan and American leaders shared a traditional Afghan meal with the governor and were able to talk about the governor’s most pressing issues in an informal setting.
The following day the group met with the Farah Provincial Council, the province’s only elected governing body. After meeting with the group at the Farah City government offices, provincial council members showed Burns and the PRT leadership the damages done to the government compound resulting from the previous weeks attack.
“It was important for us to be here with the local leadership and to offer them the help and moral support that we’re able to provide,” said McCray. “For us it’s about being a good neighbor. When your neighbor is going through a difficult time, you do what you can to help.”
During her visit, Burns was able to meet with the other senior level Farahi leaders, including the directors of women’s affairs, education and the head of the Ulema council. Burns was impressed with the leadership’s connection to the people and their desire to continue a decade’s worth of progress in Farah.
“Resiliency is the hallmark of the Afghan people,” said Burns. “Despite a very trying time, I am confident that the leadership of the province will be able to rally the people to move forward in a positive way. The people here simply won’t allow the progress of the past decade to be erased by terrorists.”
Farah province has made great strides in the areas of security, governance and development in the past decade. Sectors such as education, commerce, women’s affairs, public health and agriculture have seen significant improvement as the government has improved their capacity to provide timely and relevant services to the people of Farah. There are certainly many reasons for optimism in Farah post-transition.
“To look past the progress that has been made in Farah due to last week’s tragic incident would be unfair to the many people here who have worked and sacrificed so much to make a difference,” said McCray. “The governor and his core leadership team have been increasing, and will continue to increase, the level of tangible, relevant services to Farahis.”
PRT Farah’s mission is to train, advise, and assist Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial levels in Farah province, Afghanistan. Their civil-military team is comprised of members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). For more information about the PRT follow their page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PRTFRH.
| Date Taken: | 04.12.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 04.12.2013 03:20 |
| Story ID: | 105074 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE FARAH, AF |
| Web Views: | 210 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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