The US would like Malta to contribute to its campaign in Afghanistan by training locals there in agriculture and good governance, the US Ambassador to Malta, Douglas Kmiec said yesterday.
Prof. Kmiec was speaking a day after US President Barack Obama announced plans to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, accelerating the deployment in a bid to beat back the Taliban and bring a quicker end to a costly and unpopular eight-year war.
Asked how Malta could contribute, he said: "Malta has the neutrality clause in its Constitution and we respect that. However, Malta can contribute by teaching agriculture skills to the Afghan people or contribute through development assistance, civilian training and aspects of good governance. Malta's contribution would be entirely non-military."
How such support could be provided would be up to the government.
The new strategy unveiled by Mr Obama would increase the total number of US troops in Afghanistan to 100,000 by mid-2010.
After three months of deliberations, President Obama announced his plan in a televised speech to cadets at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York.
"These additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011. But it will be clear to the Afghan government - and, more importantly, to the Afghan people - that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country," Mr Obama said.
Prof. Kmiec, who supported Mr Obama during the Presidential campaign, praised the decision which he had "not taken lightly".
"I am proud of our President for the manner in which he reached his decision after a long consultation period. What President Obama put forward is not only a military strategy but a strategy for more stability and peace in the region," Prof. Kmiec said.
He said the US expected the EU to respond to President Obama's request for support from its allies.
Asked if he believed the 2011 target was reasonable, Prof. Kmiec said the date was based on the military advice the President had been given. "We are fighting individuals who have no respect for the laws. By virtue of this, we had to place a timeframe for a particular course of action. There is a specific timeline for the Afghan military to take over responsibility."
"Obama is a man of peace. In 2001, not only New York was attacked but it was the World Trade Centre. And, after that, there was London and Bali. It is a worldwide threat," he said.