US secretary of state Hillary Clinton spoke to the BBC telling the next Afghanistan leader to step up, address the country’s problems and build a better relationship with the United States, the army and the people of Afghanistan.
Clinton, who is currently on a European tour, said that the US is “anxiously awaiting” the results of the presidential elections, which have been delayed due to fraud and malpractice. Currently, Hamid Karzai, with 55% of the vote, is ahead of his rival Abdullah Abdullah.
When asked about the stand of the US if Karzai wins, Clinton commented that if the “…election results in him being re-elected, there must be a new relationship between him and the people of Afghanistan, between his government and governments which are supporting the efforts in Afghanistan to stabilise and secure the country.”
Clinton also emphasised that the next president must ensure proper training and deployment of Afghan troops.
General Stanley McChrystal recently asked US president Barack Obama to send more troops to Afghanistan. While the president has not made a final decision, Clinton said that the current review being done is “very thorough”. She said that “disrupting, dismantling and defeating al-Qaeda and its extremist allies” continue to be the goals of America, but a careful analysis is being considered to find out who the allies of al-Qaeda are.
“We want to be smart about how we are proceeding. The lives that our young men and women, both American and British, have put at risk – and lost – are very much in our minds. We intend to get this as right as is humanly possible,” she said.
