PRESIDENT ASHRAF GHANI (through translator): In the name of Allah, the entirely and (inaudible) merciful, the especially merciful, your -- your excellency, Mr. Secretary of Defense, Honorable Mr. Carter, most welcome to Afghanistan.
You are the continuous partner of Afghanistan, fighting together with the Afghans and being an ally of the Afghanistan National Defense Security Forces.
So on behalf of Afghanistan National Defense Security Forces, you know, I would like to welcome you on behalf of all the people of Afghanistan, most welcome, Your Excellency.
Today, first of all, I would like to thank His Excellency, Mr. Carter, for his confidence on the nation of Afghanistan, and particularly on the Afghanistan National Defense Security Forces and of His Excellency appreciating the continuous sacrifice of the Afghanistan National Defense Security Forces.
Thank you very much.
In the last two years, that have been tough years, your confidence on a stable Afghanistan, your confidence on a secure Afghanistan, is one of the keys to the peace and stability and that has been very important for us. And I'd like to thank you, Your Excellency, for that.
Secondly, the United States of America last year made a decision and it was that 50 years after today or 100 years after today will be considered a historical decision that United States of America took last year.
And that decision was that the forces of the United States of America will complement the work of the Afghanistan National Defense Security Forces of Afghanistan.
You, in this decision, have played the key role in the capacity of the secretary of defense and as somebody who, too, His Excellency President Obama should (inaudible) of the threats and risks that existed and as a result of that, the decision -- it was the decision for the people who you value more than your children and it is about their life and about their deaths. And for this decision you've taken, Your Excellency, last year, I'd like to thank you on behalf of the people of Afghanistan.
I hope that you will carry the appreciation of all the people of Afghanistan to the president of the United States of America.
Thirdly, Your Excellency, Mr. Carter, to the establishment of international consensus for equipping, funding and training the Afghanistan National Defense Security Forces in Warsaw Conference played a very key role. So once again, I'd like to thank you, Your Excellency, because without you, without your efforts, without your attention, this international consensus of the 15 years will have been very difficult.
And after 15 years, when in Warsaw, all the international community, international allies and friends with NATO accepted that Afghanistan is worth investing at and that our champion and courageous Afghanistan National Defense Security Forces need to be supported. I would like to thank you and I would like to acknowledge this.
The forces of the United States of America have stood alongside by us shoulder to shoulder, have provided us with the assistance and have stood alongside by us at our side during your tenure of the international force of mission completed. So we would like to thank all the American -- all the American forces who, in our soil, have sacrificed and have stood alongside by us. We would like to thank them and we would like to ask you to please thank them, particularly I would like to request you for the families of those soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of us and for the safety of you, who have sacrificed their lives, I'd like to -- I'd like to finally ask you to thank those families, because the nation of Afghanistan is a nation that recognizes and acknowledges the support and assistance. We have always been able to differentiate between our friends and between our foes. You have been one continuous friend of Afghanistan and we are proud of it.
I'd particularly like to thank the Honorable Mrs. Carter is our guest today. And we would like to thank her, the Honorable Mrs. Carter, the fact that every day, for one, for two, or for three hours that you have gone late home, she's tolerated you.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ASH CARTER: Thank you for those kind words and for your hospitality today and on my many trips to Afghanistan over the years and now on this, which is my fourth trip to Afghanistan as Secretary of Defense.
And good afternoon to everyone here, President.
Mr. President, I'm honored by this recognition. And I take it as a sign of recognition of all Americans who have served here in Afghanistan.
And so on my behalf and their behalf, thank you (inaudible).
Today, President Ghani and I reaffirmed our long strategic partnership and our common vision for a secure and prosperous Afghanistan.
President Ghani was one of the first foreign leaders I met after taking office as defense secretary. And he's been a critical partner as we've advanced our mission here.
And President Ghani, I want to thank you again for your continued leadership, for your resolve, for your friendship.
Not only as I'm here today with my wife, Stephanie, as you've noted, to visit and thank our troops before the holidays, but throughout your time, Mr. President.
And I also want to thank Chief Executive Abdullah, who couldn't be here today but for his commitment, also, to the future of Afghanistan.
President Ghani made a deep impression on the Pentagon when he visited to honor U.S. service and sacrifice in Afghanistan. We won't forget that. We can't forget that.
The United States president's continued support to Afghan Forces and strategic partnership with the government of Afghanistan demonstrates to the world that America is and will remain committed to a sovereign and secure Afghanistan.
And as I said here in July and reaffirmed today, we stand with the people of Afghanistan, who have put themselves at risk and sacrificed so much to bring this country to this point of promise, potential and strength. And we'll continue to stand with you.
This year, we've seen the Afghan Security Forces having assumed the lead for securing their country be put to the test. And despite and through great sacrifices, they passed this test.
They demonstrated their growing capabilities and resilience and they denied the Taliban its own stated goal of seizing a major population center.
That reflects the progress Afghan forces have made with the help of the United States and our NATO partners.
As we reflect upon U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, 15 years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, I want to highlight three important decisions the United States made this year that will continue to define the U.S. commitment here and that President Ghani himself stated just a few moments ago.
First, on Chairman Dunford's and my recommendation, the president this year gave expanded authorities to U.S. forces to proactively assist and enable our Afghan partners in operations that would have strategic effects.
And second, as the president noted, we also decided to modify our plan in order to retain some 8,400 U.S. troops here into 2017, rather than 5,500, as the earlier plan had called for.
And third, we will continue to maintain our financial commitment to the Afghanistan National Defense & Security Forces through 2020.
And with these American commitments made, NATO, in turn, committed to continuing the Resolute Support mission. And at the same time, the overall international community pledged com -- combined pledges to the ANDSF of approximately $5 billion per year through 2020.
These robust American commitments in authorities and forces and finances will ensure we not only continue supporting our Afghan partners, but also continue our counter-terrorism mission well into the future to ensure no terrorist group can seek safe tavis -- safe haven such that it can threaten the stability of Afghanistan, of the U.S. homeland or of the coalition.
Indeed, alongside our Afghan partners, we recently conducted two large scale operations against ISIL, or as here it's referred to, Daesh, killing its top leader in the country and significantly degrading its capabilities in this country.
And we also continued to strike remnants of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, killing its top plotter.
I want to close by saying that as my first week as secretary of defense, I traveled to Afghanistan because I wanted to thank the thousands of U.S. troops saving here. So many of the men and women at the Defense Department have given their all and so many years of their lives here in Afghanistan.
Many have given life itself, including three service members and two contractors in last month's suicide attack at Bagram. Today and every day, I join President Ghani in remembering those we've lost over the last decade and a half, U.S. and Afghan.
Throughout history, Afghans have been known as fierce fighters. In the last 15 years, the world has come to admire the bravery and determination of the Afghanistan National Defense & Security Forces as they build a prosperous future for all Afghan people.
As we remember the fallen, we'll honor their memory by ensuring that the U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership is strong and enduring and by remaining firm in our resolve to secure a brighter future for all Afghans and a better world for all our children.
Thank you. (Applause.)