Quotes About ISAF

The U.S. troops joked that ISAF stood for "I Suck at Fighting," "I Saw Americans Fighting," or "I Sunbathe at FOBs [forward operating bases].

And across Afghanistan, every single day, Afghan soldiers, Afghan police and ISAF troops are serving shoulder-to-shoulder in some very difficult situations. And our engagement with them, our shoulder-to-shoulder relationship with them, our conduct of operations with them every single day defines the real relationship.

In the end, none of our election recommendations was implemented. Afterward I asked ISAF's intelligence chief, General Michael Flynn—among the most sympathetic officers to the anticorruption agenda—if any surveillance satellites had been assigned to monitor turnout. He seemed startled, as though we had never discussed the idea. Oh no, came his answer. They were too busy tracking insurgents.

And across Afghanistan, every single day, Afghan soldiers, Afghan police and ISAF troops are serving shoulder-to-shoulder in some very difficult situations. And our engagement with them, our shoulder-to-shoulder relationship with them, our conduct of operations with them every single day defines the real relationship.

Canada is preparing to play a major role in the continued stability and security of Afghanistan through ISAF.

All nations agree that ISAF and OEF need to work more closely together, and that when NATO takes over operations throughout the country that there must be unity of command.