A group of Hungarian journalists based
in Washington, D.C. met with General Michael DeLong, second in command to
General Tommy Franks at U.S. Central Command, on May 8 in Tampa, Florida.
The General said that Hungary
is "punching above its weight class" in international
peacekeeping and, generally speaking, its contribution to the war on
terror has surpassed all expectations. According
to the General, the $9 million in military aid from Hungary played a key
role in helping to establish the first battalion of the Afghan National
Army (ANA). These contributions, he said, were made at the time when they
were most needed, prompting bigger and wealthier countries to act.
The
level of terrorist activities has reached a low not seen since the 1960s
thanks to joint efforts by some seventy countries who are taking part in
the global war by contributing equipment and manpower as well as by
freezing the assets of, and capturing, terrorists, said the General.
Most
of the terrorists are from, or trained in, Centcom's area of
responsibility. "If we succeed in cutting their financial supply
lines, eliminating their upper and middle management, and check their
training activities, we will stand a good chance of halting terrorism
globally," said Gen. DeLong.
