U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined an American presence in Afghanistan that will continue even after U.S. troops have left the country, a significant change of perspective for the administration.
"This partnership is a long-term commitment," Clinton said Tuesday, opening a day of consultations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and many members of his Cabinet. "This commitment, Mr. President," she added to Karzai, "will endure long after U.S. combat troops have left."
"We will not abandon the Afghan people," Clinton said.
The atmosphere appeared much improved from recent tensions between the two countries when U.S. officials had harshly criticized Karzai for not being firm enough on fighting corruption.
"The ability to disagree is not an obstacle rather, it reflects a level of trust," Clinton said about the public bickering.
Sitting at the head of a long table lined with top U.S. and Afghan officials, the two leaders tried to leave behind those negative impressions.
Clinton said it was "a special pleasure" to be host to the delegation, which she had welcomed with a dinner the night before. Karzai in return praised Clinton's hospitality and expressed gratitude for U.S. sacrifices in Afghanistan.
"We have made immense progress," Karzai said. He called on the U.S. to support Afghan development "as we propose it and as it would leave Afghanistan with long-term economic and security stability."
Both said they plan to discuss the long-term partnership between the countries across a range of issues. The presence of the Afghan ministers of the interior, agriculture, finance, education and health, among others, was a testimony to this broader approach.
On the issue of giving Taliban insurgents a chance to join mainstream Afghan society, so-called reconciliation, Clinton said, "We stand ready to support our Afghan partners," echoing the administration's position that such a process should be led by the Afghan government.
Still, one of the most important issues remains the Afghan government's ability to provide security to its citizens. Clinton encouraged the Afghan government to take control over its army and police but also said the United States would "continue to equip, train and support the Afghan security forces" even after the end of the military mission.
The police training mission lacks trainers, a recent U.S. Defense Department report on the progress in Afghanistan said. Two senior military officials told a congressional committee last week that the United States has sent additional personnel to fill that gap until other NATO countries commit further resources to Afghan police training.
Afghan military and police are well on track to reaching the quantitative goal of 134,000 military and 109,000 police officers by October, the Pentagon report said, but it raised questions about the quality of the police force.
The Center for American Progress, a liberal advocacy group, criticized the centralized Afghan government in a report published Monday, saying "all roads currently lead back to President Karzai."
Strengthening lower levels of government could help reduce corruption if checks and balances are added at the local level, the report said.
To help the Afghan government, Clinton stressed the importance of strengthening district and provincial levels.
She pointed out that the number of U.S. civilians on the ground has tripled in the past year, to about 1,000. U.S. President Barack Obama's military surge, on the other hand, includes an additional 30,000 troops, about half of who have deployed.
The Obama administration plans to begin reducing its military presence in Afghanistan in the summer of 2011 but Clinton's remarks indicate a U.S. presence on the ground for years to come.
The Afghan officials are in Washington for a 4-day visit that will include consultations at the State Department Tuesday and a meeting of Obama and Karzai at the White House Wednesday.
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