KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A trio of high-ranking diplomats ended a whirlwind tour of Afghanistan's dangerous Panjwaii district Wednesday with glowing declarations of progress that made no mention of the heavy security they needed to make the trip.
Canada's ambassador to Kabul joined his American counterpart Karl Eikenberry and Australian ambassador Martin Quinn in visiting a village outside the Canadian operating base at Masum Ghar.
In his comments, Eikenberry spoke of last having visited the district in late 2006 after heavy fighting. The village he viewed then, he said, was partly destroyed and empty.
"Today, I was back at Panjwaii: I saw a village with thousands of farmers, I saw a thriving marketplace, which we walked through," Eikenberry said after the trio's return to Kandahar Airfield.
"I saw prosperity. I saw hope. I saw the prospects for our combined success in Afghanistan."
The restive Panjwaii district, west of Kandahar city, is considered one of the most volatile areas in Afghanistan. Insurgents frequently attack international and Afghan security forces either directly or by way of dreaded improvised explosive devices.
As they walked through the market, chatting with some locals and eating ice cream, military helicopters patrolled from a distance, tanks blocked access roads, and heavily-armed soldiers and plain-clothes bodyguards kept a watchful eye.
Hoffmann said the trip to the market was "spontaneous," and was inspired by the changes in the community over the past two years.
He called the day "exciting and important" for Afghanistan and Kandahar, saying he left encouraged.
"We are seeing tangible progress."
Canadian Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, the senior military commander in Kandahar province, accompanied the diplomats on their visit. The self-described eternal optimist also expressed confidence about the situation.
"I remain very positive that this is a winnable conflict," Vance said.
Eikenberry, a former three-star general, did launch into an impassioned verbal attack on the insurgents when asked about his visit to western Afghanistan's Farah province on Tuesday to apologize for dozens of civilian deaths in U.S. airstrikes last month.
Afghans have to understand the difference between coalition forces and the insurgents, he said.
"We do not target civilians, but let's make a distinction morally between ourselves and the enemy of Afghanistan," Eikenberry said.
"We are here trying to secure the Afghan people. They are terrorizing teachers. They're blowing bridges up. They send suicide bombers into crowds."
