The American general who led the ground invasion of Iraq took command of the 40-nation NATO-led campaign in Afghanistan on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. Army Gen. David D. McKiernan took charge of the 51,000-member International Security Assistance Force from Gen. Dan McNeill, who will retire from the U.S. Army after 40 years. Addressing a change of command ceremony Tuesday, McKiernan said he was «honored to walk alongside our Afghan brothers. » «While today marks a transition in commanders, the mission must continue without missing a beat, » he said, listing security, reconstruction and development as the types of support that Afghanistan deserves. «Insurgents, foreign fighters, criminals and others who stand in the way of that mission will be dealt with.» Afghan President Hamid Karzai welcomed McKiernan to the country. «Your task will not be easy,» Karzai warned. «But I'm sure as good a soldier as you are, you will serve it well, together with Afghan officers and the Ministry of Defense.» He asked McKiernan and other military commanders to continue to equip and train Afghan security forces so the country can eventually stand on its own.
