KABUL (PAN): Brigadier General Carlos Branco, spokesperson of International Security Assistance Force Afghanistan in a message congratulated Afghan on celebrations of Eid Miladun Nabi and New Year.

Following is the text of the message received to Pajhwok Afghan News here on Wednesday

ISAF members here in Kabul and all over the country are impressed by the wonderful atmosphere of joy as we approach the start of the new solar year. Therefore, I would like to first wish all of you, on behalf of General Dan McNeill COMISAF the very best for the New Year 1387. Our hearts and thoughts are with you. We know that you are also happy to celebrate the Birthday of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Events such as this are very worthy of great celebration, and underline the energy and enthusiasm that is evident as we work together to rebuild Afghanistan to a position where it can realize its true potential. The New Year is a great opportunity to reinvigorate efforts across all lines of operation. As a very important aspect of this work we look forward to increasing our results in the areas of security, governance, reconstruction and development.

 Of course, we all know the reality of the hard work that lies ahead of us. We are making good progress, but we will never forget those who are still suffering so much. In this regard, we express our deep regrets for the recent childs death in the Khowst Province.  The child died due to severe wounds caused by an insurgent suicide car bomb attack on an ISAF convoy. This is just another example how insurgents disregard the most basic values of human life.  The insurgents do not care about the lives of innocent Afghan people nor their property. In their cowardly attacks on those who are seeking to make Afghanistan a better place, they make no attempt to minimize damage to the Afghan public.  Fully aware that in a face to face fight with security forces they would lose, they have resorted to suicide bombs and are only concerned with obtaining media coverage and attention for their own benefit.  In your media pack you will find a photograph of a civilian vehicle that was caught by the blast in Kabul last Thursday. It starkly demonstrates that the Insurgents aim was to maximize carnage, and it mattered not at all to them just who they killed and maimed.

We have witnessed again this week a number of reports where the Insurgent have accused ISAF of killing civilians. This is simply not true, and you should know that ISAF plans and conducts all of its missions with the aim of minimising risk to the civilian population. Contrary to the way the insurgents carry out their attacks.  Where civilians are killed and injured during an engagement, episodes which although thankfully rare deeply sadden all in ISAF, they are reported and investigated. Not so with the Insurgent. 

Looking at progress and military activity, since 1 January 2008, we estimate that 94% of the military operations have occurred in 15% of the districts. The remaining 6% occurred in 49 districts. 291 districts have no recorded military activity this year. But we are far from complacent about these figures, and the effort to suppress the insurgents continues unabated.  

In regional Command East, during a recent Village Medical Outreach ANA and ISAF soldiers treated more than 700 Afghans in the Kohe Safi district of the Parwan Province. ANSF and ISAF conducted operations in the Kapisa Province and continued to engage the populace through government outreach, humanitarian assistance and medical engagements.

In Regional Command South, the deployment of the 24^th Marine Expeditionary Unit started. This unit will deploy approximately 2,200 service members under ISAF command to conduct full-spectrum operations to capitalize on recent ISAF and ANSF successes in providing a safe and secure environment for the Afghan people.

Afghan National Security Forces with the support of ISAF continued to demonstrate their ever-increasing capacity by planning and conducting a variety of cordon and search, and freedom of movement operations in the surrounding area of Lashkar Gar and Zari district. 

Ajr/pr