KABUL (AFP)
Afghanistan welcomed Friday a U.S. strategy to fight extremism announced by President Barack Obama, especially a focus on the Al-Qaeda threat from Pakistan and a push to build the Afghan security forces.
"We welcome the statement issued by President Obama and we agree with the contents of his speech," President Hamid Karzai's chief spokesman, Homayun Hamidzada, told AFP.
"We particularly appreciate the recognition that the Al-Qaeda threat mainly emanates from Pakistan and it poses a danger to Afghanistan and our international friends here," he said.
" We particularly appreciate the recognition that the Al-Qaeda threat mainly emanates from Pakistan and it poses a danger to Afghanistan and our international friends here " Homayun Hamidzada, President Karzai\\\\\\\'s chief spokesman The U.S. president said in his long-awaited review that Al-Qaeda was actively planning attacks on the United States from its safe-haven in Pakistan and vowed to ‘disrupt, dismantle and defeat’ Osama bin Laden's group.
He also announced he would send 4,000 U.S. soldiers to train Afghan security forces so the army could reach a targeted force of 134,000 and the police 82,000 as soon as possible.
This was an “important focus on the Afghan security forces so they could take increasingly charge as the international support eventually will taper off," Hamidzada said.
The Afghan spokesman also said his government was committed to fighting corruption which Obama had warned he would not ignore and ‘causes Afghans to lose faith in their own leaders.’
"We are committed to continue our effort in promoting good governance, fighting corruption and providing service to the Afghan people, the obligations we have as an elected government," Hamidzada said.
On Obama's proposal for the setting up of a new contact group on Afghanistan including Iran to tackle the bloody insurgency, Hamidzada said: "We have all along said that Iran is an important partner.
"They have helped the people and government of Afghanistan in their effort on rebuilding and reconstruction."
"Any improvement in the relationship between Iran and the US will only be beneficial," he added.
The review of US strategy in Afghanistan more than seven years after the extremist Taliban regime was removed in a U.S.-led invasion was based on widespread consultations, including with Afghan officials.
Hamidzada said it had ‘underscored the points of view that we had expressed to our American friends, especially the regional aspect of the problem.’
Karzai would himself address the strategy in the coming days, he said. "But for the moment we have a very warm and positive welcome for the outcome of the review."
A statement from Karzai's office said later that the new strategy could bring Afghanistan and the international community closer to success in its efforts against the insurgents.
Prominent parliamentarian Shukria Barakzai called for more commitment from the Pakistan government on cooperation in the U.S.-led ‘war on terror.’
And independent parliamentarian Daud Sultanzoy said the emphasis on building the capacity of the Afghan security forces was positive.
But he said a key problem in the efforts in Afghanistan, which could undermine the new strategy, was bad governance.
"One of the biggest culprits in the past seven years has been lack of leadership that has created bad governance, corruption and added to the security problems," he said.
"In the absence of such leadership and such vision, the U.S. efforts will still be missing a link, which is the Afghan link." |
