Trust essential in Afghanistan -- Pentagon

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Revisions in the war strategy for Afghanistan must focus on changing troop behavior and relationships with the people on the ground, a Pentagon spokesman said.

U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, submitted a dour assessment to Washington recently, saying the mission in Afghanistan risked failure if not resourced adequately.

McChrystal is expected to ask for as many as 40,000 additional troops as part of a revised strategy in Afghanistan, though details of his plans are vague.

Nevertheless, McChrystal stressed the importance of gaining the trust of the Afghan people while at the same time ensuring any peace must be sustainable by a domestic effort.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell in an interview with U.S. cable news channel MSNBC said that trust is essential to the counterinsurgency effort in Afghanistan.

"If we are able to win the trust and confidence of the Afghan people, if they trust that we are there by their side and committed to being there for the duration, he believes we can succeed," he said, referring to McChrystal.

The general spoke briefly with U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday regarding his assessment on Afghanistan. The Pentagon said a decision would be made in a matter of weeks.