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War in Afghanistan May End by Winter: Powell
The U.S.-led forces may wrap up the ongoing war against the Taliban in Afghanistan by the onset of winter, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday.
The secretary made the remarks in an interview with CNN while he was still in Shanghai, China, where an informal leadership meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum was held.
Powell explained that the weather conditions of winter would place constraints on U.S. military operations in the Central Asian country.
"But we also are noticing that the Northern Alliance, which we are supporting, has become more aggressive in their actions up north and moving toward Kabul in the near future. So let us hope the campaign comes to an end soon, but the most important thing to remember is we will pursue it until our mission has been accomplished," he said.
The secretary also said that whether the U.S. troops will continue the war during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on November 17, would be subject to decisions based on military, not diplomatic, considerations.
"It is a very important religious period, and we will take that into account," Powell said. "We will have to see where the mission is at that point, and what needs to be done, and I will yield to my colleagues in the Pentagon as to what we will do as we approach the season of Ramadan," he added.
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