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Fight against terrorism top priority, Obama tells Karzai
Tajikistan News.Net
Sunday 23rd November, 2008 (IANS)
US president-elect Barack Obama told Afghan President Hamid Karzai that the fight against terrorism in the region and bringing security to the war-torn Afghanistan would be the top priority of his government, the Afghan presidential palace said Sunday.
Obama assured President Karzai in a telephone conversation Saturday night that the US assistance to Afghanistan would increase when he takes office in January, Karzai's office said in a statement.
This the first direct contact between Karzai and Obama since the Nov 4 US election.
'Obama emphasized that the US is committed to helping the people of Afghanistan in bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan and therefore the US would increase its assistance and pay more attention to Afghanistan,' the statement said.
'The president-elect also said that the fight against terrorism and bringing security to Afghanistan, the region and to the world was one of the priorities of his government,' it said.
During the presidential campaign, Obama had several times criticized Karzai for not being able to curb the rampant corruption in his government and for failing to provide basic services to his countrymen.
But Karzai, who has ruled the country since late 2001, blamed lack of assistance pledged by the international communities and the civilian casualties caused during the NATO military operations as reasons behind the Afghan people's frustration.
Obama had also said as a president he would divert attention from war in Iraq to Afghanistan. He explicitly had mentioned that he would pursue the Taliban and their Al Qaeda associates inside the Pakistani territory, a move that would be widely supported by the Afghans.
Afghan officials and its public have repeatedly pointed the finger at Pakistani tribal areas, where they claimed that Taliban and Al Qaeda militants are given sanctuaries.
There are more than 32,000 US troops in Afghanistan. The president-elect has pledged to send extra troops to clamp down on militants during his administration.
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Comments on this story
;) Midnight
11-23-08, 02:11 PM |
Fight against terrorism top priority, Obama tells Karzai
Well he can have him.
Assistance comes with a price, President Karzai?
Omar, assistance comes with a price, you see?
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Anonymous
11-24-08, 01:13 PM |
Fight against terrorism top priority, Obama tells Karzai
Promises of this type have been given right from the time the Taliban were driven out of power back in late 2001. It has been a lip service only and will continue to be so in the years to come. Obama administration, in one way or another, will be the continuation of Bush administration. It would be too naive to hope that a regime change in Washington will bring a dramatic and significant change in Afghanistan and Iraq. It has been the tip of an iceberg so far. There are many other issues to be dealt with, of course under the pretext of so-called “war on terror”. Terrorism can be eliminated with a blink of eye if there is an actual determination to do so. However, it will become more detrimental if the same Bush foreign policy is kept in place.
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;) Midnight
11-23-08, 04:31 PM |
Omar I love you dearly brother, you choose. Only you can choose, this whole thing is so tight behind you right now that nothing can stop it on Earth.
The elections are coming there will be extra support on the ground. It is completely fallible right now. I’m American but I will never leave you, you choose. Just say fight or stop.
Omar chooses.
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