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Karzai to take oath, future of Afghan war at stake
Source: Agencies |
November 19, 2009, Thursday
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AFGHAN President Hamid Karzai is to be sworn into office for a second full term today as he struggles to rebuild a tarnished reputation and convince the West he is still a credible partner after eight years of war.
Karzai's inauguration comes against the backdrop of a rising Taliban insurgency, doubts over his legitimacy after an election tainted by fraud and complaints his government is riddled with corruption and mismanagement.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in her first visit to Afghanistan as the top US diplomat, and her British, French and Turkish counterparts are among 300 foreign dignitaries to attend the ceremony at the presidential palace in central Kabul.
"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 you're going to have accountability and tangible results that will improve the lives of the people," Clinton said in the Afghan capital on Wednesday.
Kabul's streets were deserted early today with armoured vehicles blocking off the capital's major roads. Security officers were even stopping people from walking on the streets. The government has declared Thursday a holiday and reporters are barred from attending the searing-in ceremony.
"They should all go to hell. With these roadblocks, we can't even walk home," said Mohammed Shah, referring to Karzai's last term. "I was on duty tonight and I want to go home but they're not allowing me to go. What's happened in the last five years? It will just be the same again."
QUESTION OVER TROOPS
Clinton's visit to Afghanistan comes as US President Barack Obama debates whether he will send up to 40,000 more troops to fight an increasingly unpopular war. He said on Wednesday he aims to bring the conflict to an end before he leaves office.
General Stanley McChrystal, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, wants tens of thousands of additional troops, warning that without them, the war will probably be lost.
A U.N.-backed probe found that nearly a third of votes for Karzai in the Aug. 20 election were fake.
While Karzai had been expected to win anyway, the extent of the fraud in his favour severely damaged his credibility at home and among Western and other nations with troops fighting to support his government.
He has since faced tough pressure from Western leaders to clamp down on widespread corruption and replace former guerrilla leaders and cronies with able technocrats in his new government. Obama's troop decision partly depends on whether he can trust Karzai as a credible partner to push ahead with reform.
Reports have emerged that US ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, had warned Obama in leaked memos not to commit more troops unless Karzai's government demonstrates a willingness to aggressively attack corruption and mismanagement.
Attention is focused on Karzai's inauguration speech, which US and Western officials hope he will use to announce concrete steps to fight corruption and govern better.
Obama administration officials have said they were encouraged by steps announced by Karzai so far, including the creation of a major crimes task force and anti-corruption unit.
But Clinton, speaking to reporters en route to Kabul, said on Wednesday Karzai hadn't done nearly enough.
"Well, we are asking that they follow through on much of what they have previously said, including putting together a credible anticorruption governmental entity, a commission, an agency, something that truly can deliver on the concerns that we and the people of Afghanistan have about corruption.
"They've done some work on that, but in our view, not nearly enough to demonstrate a seriousness of purpose to tackle corruption," she said.
Karzai was installed by the United States and its Afghan allies in 2001. He won a full term in the country's first democratic presidential election in 2004.
Karzai's inauguration comes against the backdrop of a rising Taliban insurgency, doubts over his legitimacy after an election tainted by fraud and complaints his government is riddled with corruption and mismanagement.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in her first visit to Afghanistan as the top US diplomat, and her British, French and Turkish counterparts are among 300 foreign dignitaries to attend the ceremony at the presidential palace in central Kabul.
"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 you're going to have accountability and tangible results that will improve the lives of the people," Clinton said in the Afghan capital on Wednesday.
Kabul's streets were deserted early today with armoured vehicles blocking off the capital's major roads. Security officers were even stopping people from walking on the streets. The government has declared Thursday a holiday and reporters are barred from attending the searing-in ceremony.
"They should all go to hell. With these roadblocks, we can't even walk home," said Mohammed Shah, referring to Karzai's last term. "I was on duty tonight and I want to go home but they're not allowing me to go. What's happened in the last five years? It will just be the same again."
QUESTION OVER TROOPS
Clinton's visit to Afghanistan comes as US President Barack Obama debates whether he will send up to 40,000 more troops to fight an increasingly unpopular war. He said on Wednesday he aims to bring the conflict to an end before he leaves office.
General Stanley McChrystal, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, wants tens of thousands of additional troops, warning that without them, the war will probably be lost.
A U.N.-backed probe found that nearly a third of votes for Karzai in the Aug. 20 election were fake.
While Karzai had been expected to win anyway, the extent of the fraud in his favour severely damaged his credibility at home and among Western and other nations with troops fighting to support his government.
He has since faced tough pressure from Western leaders to clamp down on widespread corruption and replace former guerrilla leaders and cronies with able technocrats in his new government. Obama's troop decision partly depends on whether he can trust Karzai as a credible partner to push ahead with reform.
Reports have emerged that US ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, had warned Obama in leaked memos not to commit more troops unless Karzai's government demonstrates a willingness to aggressively attack corruption and mismanagement.
Attention is focused on Karzai's inauguration speech, which US and Western officials hope he will use to announce concrete steps to fight corruption and govern better.
Obama administration officials have said they were encouraged by steps announced by Karzai so far, including the creation of a major crimes task force and anti-corruption unit.
But Clinton, speaking to reporters en route to Kabul, said on Wednesday Karzai hadn't done nearly enough.
"Well, we are asking that they follow through on much of what they have previously said, including putting together a credible anticorruption governmental entity, a commission, an agency, something that truly can deliver on the concerns that we and the people of Afghanistan have about corruption.
"They've done some work on that, but in our view, not nearly enough to demonstrate a seriousness of purpose to tackle corruption," she said.
Karzai was installed by the United States and its Afghan allies in 2001. He won a full term in the country's first democratic presidential election in 2004.
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