Clinton and Gates: U.S. Future in Afghanistan and Iran remain uncertain

GWU Board of Trustees Chairman Russell Ramsey, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, SMPA Director Frank Sesno. Photo by Jesse Regis George Washington University 

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, said in an interview Monday with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, that the United States will remain in Afghanistan until all objectives are met.

The cabinet members spoke at George Washington University and insisted the key to moving forward with the war is to establish what the objectives are and whether or not the objectives can be achieved.

Clinton said that the goal to defeat Al Qaeda remains, but explained that the United States is examining the strategies and tactics used to achieve that goal.

Gates echoed U.S. forces commander General Stanley McChrystal’s assessment that the situation in Afghanistan is serious and deteriorating.

“The reality is -- because of our inability and the inability, frankly, of our allies to put enough troops into Afghanistan -- the Taliban do have the momentum right now, it seems,” Gates said.

Both cabinet members agreed that the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is the most dangerous place in the world. “We have to look at Afghanistan and Pakistan together,” Clinton said.

“There should be no uncertainty in terms of our determination to remain in Afghanistan and to continue to build a relationship, a partnership, and trust with the Pakistanis,” Gates said.

Clinton said that the United States will not turn its back on Pakistan after supplying the country with weapons, as it did in the 1980’s, when guerilla Mujahideen fought against Soviet forces.

On the issue of Iran, both Clinton and Gates urged that Iran would be better-off without nuclear weapons, for security and economic reasons, and because of the resulting isolation from the international community having such weapons will create.

“The only long term solution for this problem at the end of the day is the Iranians, themselves, deciding having nuclear weapons is not in their interest, and if we can’t convince them of that then an array of other options are open," Gates said.

The recent missile defense decision dictates the United States position on Iranian missiles. 

“Our new adaptive approach toward missile defense is aimed at protecting our NATO allies and most of Europe from a short or medium range Iranian missile”, Clinton said.

The situation with Iran is still uncertain because the U.S. doesn’t know what Iran will agree to, Clinton said.

Gates said Iran is expected to be transparent about nuclear sites that have been neglected up to this point, but Clinton said we don’t know yet if Iran truly wants to resolve the issue.

“I think the jury’s out and what we have to do is keep them to tight enough deadlines and specific enough requirements that we have some indication of whether they are serious or not,” Gates said.

At the last Geneva council meeting Iran agreed to allow inspections of an undisclosed site. Iran also agreed to a future meeting with the Geneva council. Clinton said that the meeting was positive because it indicated that the the process won’t just drag out without continuity.