Clinton urges Karzai to institute reforms

[unhappycamper]

Clinton urges Karzai to institute reforms
By Deb Riechmann - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Nov 18, 2009 11:17:53 EST

KABUL, Afghanistan — Hillary Rodham Clinton, on her first trip to Afghanistan as secretary of state, said Wednesday that President Hamid Karzai's inauguration provides a new chance for him to strengthen government accountability and take tangible steps to improve the lives of Afghan citizens.

Karzai, who invited Clinton to dinner at his presidential palace, is under stiff pressure from the U.S. and other nations to fight pervasive corruption in his government. Many hope that in his inauguration speech Thursday, he will make concrete commitments to reform, helping the country move past a fraud-tainted election that undermined trust in the government.

"We stand at a critical moment on the eve of the inauguration of President Karzai's second term," Clinton told employees at the heavily secured U.S. Embassy compound in the capital. "There is now a clear window of opportunity for President Karzai and his government to make a new compact with the people of Afghanistan to demonstrate clearly that they're going to have accountability and tangible results that will improve the lives of the people who live throughout this magnificent country."

Clinton's trip to Kabul comes just days after U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry, in leaked memos, questioned the wisdom of adding American troops at a time when the Afghan political situation is unstable and uncertain. Clinton lauded the U.S. military in her remarks, then went to meet with the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who has advocated sending tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops.

"Nobody knows better than our military commanders that troops alone cannot meet our goals of defeating al-Qaida, of helping the Afghans get the capacity to defend themselves and provide governance that will result in positive changes for the people of this country," she said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/ap_clinton_afghanistan_111809/