U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said the war in Afghanistan is worth the sacrifice, and he warned of more casualties in the future.
During an interview with the BBC, Mr. Biden said the national interests of Britain, the United States and Europe are worth the effort international troops are making.
The U.S. vice president pointed out that all terrorist attacks in Europe have originated from Afghanistan and Pakistan. And he said if the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan is not dealt with, the instability and violence will continue to "wreak havoc" on Europe and the United States.
Mr. Biden also said the Obama administration is convinced that the military is not the sole answer for stabilizing Afghanistan. There are about 90,000 foreign troops, mostly from the United States, Britain and Canada, deployed in Afghanistan, where insurgent violence is at its highest level since the U.S.-led mission to overthrow the Taliban government in 2001.
The Obama administration's top envoy for the region, Richard Holbrooke, arrived in Afghanistan Thursday following a two-day trip to Pakistan.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
