News
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Afghans to get full control over security by 2014* Conference backs Karzai’s call for ANSF to ‘lead, conduct operations in all provinces by 2014’
* 50% of development aid will be channelled into Afghan govt’s budget within 2 years
* Endorses Afghan govt’s reintegration plan to reach out to insurgents
* NATO chief says foreign forces won’t leave, will move into supporting roleKABUL: Afghan forces should be leading security operations in all parts of the country by 2014, an international conference agreed on Tuesday, with the aim of taking over from foreign troops in some areas by the year’s end.
The deadline will rely heavily on the success of the foreign troops in an ongoing operation against the Taliban, as well as on enticing thousands of insurgents to lay down arms.
The reality of security elsewhere was illustrated by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s flight to the conference being diverted to NATO’s Bagram airfield following a rocket attack.
The final communiqué from the gathering said the Afghan government would be given more responsibility for its own affairs — including security — in exchange for guarantees it will improve standards and accountability.y.
Operations: “The Afghan National Security Forces should lead and conduct military operations in all provinces by the end of 2014,” said the communiqué.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai delivered a keynote address seeking to convince the international community he was capable of assuming responsibility for security and cleaning up government. He said the international community had committed enough money to see Afghanistan through the next three years and called for greater control of the aid budget for his country.
Aid: The conference urged Kabul to make reforms to strengthen public financial management and reduce corruption, saying at least 50 percent of development aid would be channelled into the government’s budget within two years, from the current 20 percent, in exchange for better accountability and a crackdown on graft. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Afghans had set out their own plans, but needed to put those into practice.
“I have said to their ministers that it’s now very important to implement these plans,” Hague told reporters after the conference.
The UN chief, who chaired the conference with Karzai, said the final communiqué reflected the determination of the international community “to stay engaged for the long term”.
“Now we must focus all our energies on making this vision a reality.” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the plan as “comprehensive” and said the conference marked a “turning point”, while British Prime Minister David Cameron said plans for a transition in four years were “realistic”.
Reintegration: The conference ended with an endorsement of Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s plans to make peace with insurgents in an effort to end a nearly nine-year war.
“Participants welcomed and endorsed in principle the Afghan government’s peace and reintegration programme,” the communiqué added. Karzai’s programme is open to insurgents, “who renounce violence, have no links to international terrorist organisations, respect the constitution and are willing to join in building a peaceful Afghanistan”, the statement noted.
Supporting role: NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance would never allow the Taliban to topple the Afghan government. “Our mission will end only when the Afghans are able to maintain security on their own,” he said.
Rasmussen said transition would be based on “conditions, not calendars” with NATO forces working to train Afghan police and army to take the lead in protecting the country. “And when it happens, international forces won’t leave; they will simply move into a supporting role,” he added. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk