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Myers: U.S. needs new tactics in war on terrorMore U.S. troops heading for northern Africa
From Barbara Starr
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In candid public remarks, the nation's top military officer says the United States has lost momentum in its fight against al Qaeda as the terrorist group adopts new tactics. "I think in a sense we've lost a little momentum," said Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in remarks to the Brookings Institution in Washington. Myers noted that in the initial months of the war in Afghanistan, U.S. forces were able to move quickly, often confusing enemy forces and catching them off guard. But the United States may be losing some of that advantage in the war on terrorism, he said. Meanwhile, a new military task force is being formed in the Horn of Africa to be ready for covert missions against al Qaeda. The USS Whitney will head there to serve as the command ship when it departs from Norfolk, Virginia, as scheduled on Tuesday. Myers noted that al Qaeda has adapted its own techniques in several ways. "They adapt the way they talk to each other, the way they pass money. They've made lots of adaptations to our tactics, and we've got to continue to think and try to out-think them and to be faster at it," said Myers. The chairman added that "in general I think that's where we need to improve. And I think in a sense we've lost a little momentum there, to be frank." Myers told CNN that his remarks were not intended to suggest any frustration with the progress of the effort in Afghanistan, where the focus is shifting from the hunt for al Qaeda to reconstruction of the country. "My point was simply that the war on global terrorism is going to be a long one, and we need to adapt as our enemy adapts," Myers said. Myers took particular exception to The Washington Post's characterization of his remarks in a front-page article headlined, "Afghan War Faltering, Military Leader Says." "That is not an accurate reflection of my views," he told CNN. Myers says he is pleased with the progress of the war in Afghanistan, and his warning about "losing momentum" was intended to refer to the overall global war against terrorism. Pentagon sources said putting a task force structure in the Horn of Africa will give the units there a more formalized command structure and about 400 more troops from the 2nd Marine Division, but it will not change the essential job of the 800 U.S. military personnel already in Djibouti. Those troops already include a number of Special Forces units that remain on standby for covert missions, including possible operations against al Qaeda targets in Yemen. Under the command of Marine Corps Maj. Gen. John Sattler, the task force will be able to conduct operations throughout Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia and be prepared to move against al Qaeda forces wherever they are found.
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