General Praises Troops, Warns of Work Ahead

The top Army general in the Afghanistan campaign on Tuesday praised the work of sailors and Marines on this aircraft carrier for helping to give people of that war-weary country “the possibility of a new beginning,” but he suggested that the U.S. war on terrorism has only just begun.

“I can’t guarantee you [that] you will be home soon,” Gen. Tommy Franks, head of the U.S. Central Command, told personnel on the Stennis who assembled in the hangar bay. Franks also visited the carrier Theodore Roosevelt and the cruiser Vella Gulf as part of a Christmas visit to forces in the northern Arabian Sea.

“For all of you that made it possible to fill the Taliban’s Christmas stocking, thanks a lot,” Franks said. “For all of you who helped the people of Afghanistan, who have not known peace, to have the possibility of a new beginning, thanks a lot.”

Speaking to reporters, Franks suggested that the campaign against terrorism could take several years and involve other targets in other countries: “Two years, four years, five years. The president has been pretty clear. It will be as long as it takes. From the military’s perspective, we certainly have the forces and the ability to do whatever it takes.”

He expressed optimism that Osama bin Laden will be caught or killed. “It could be next week or two years from now. . . . As the president has said, it’s only a matter of time.”

Speculation about where U.S. forces might pursue fleeing terrorist leaders, and other terrorist networks, has focused on countries including Somalia, Iraq and the Philippines.

“We’re in kind of a holding phase, a waiting phase,” said Capt. R.C. Thompson, an F/A-18 pilot and commander of the Stennis air wing.

“We wish we were doing more,” said Marine Capt. Kevin Massett, also an F/A-18 pilot. “We didn’t expect the Taliban to collapse this quickly.”

The San Diego-based Stennis arrived here Dec. 15, after the pace of the bombing campaign, which began Oct. 7, had slowed considerably. Although the F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Hornets have hit some Taliban and Al Qaeda targets in their nightly missions, they often return to the ship without having dropped any bombs.

Franks’ comments were similar to those of top officers aboard the Stennis: The carrier may yet play a bigger role as the war against terrorism continues. Rear Adm. Jim Zortman, commander of the Stennis battle group, said he expects the campaign to spread to other countries.

“We’re ready across the spectrum,” said Capt. James McDonell, commanding officer of the Stennis.

One of the ironies of the Stennis’ deployment to the war zone is that the cruise has proved to be remarkably safe. A CIA agent was killed in a prisoner revolt in Afghanistan, three Americans died in a “friendly fire” incident, and several other service members have died in accidents, but no sailor, soldier or Marine has been reported lost as a result of enemy fire.

“I’ve never been on a full deployment when we’ve not lost someone,” said McDonell, a helicopter pilot with 4,000 hours of flight time. “I hope this is the first one where we come back with everyone.”