March 21, 2008

US Vice President Dick Cheney visited Afghanistan Thursday for talks with President Hamid Karzai during which he reiterated his country’s long-term commitment to security and reconstruction of Afghanistan. In a joint press availability following their talks, Vice President Cheney said, “I m here to reaffirm the bonds of friendship and cooperation that define relations between our two countries. The United States continues to lead the effort to rebuild Afghanistan and to help its people consolidate the gains of democracy.”

The people of the United States are committed to this mission in Afghanistan, and to the long-term success of the nation

He hailed the progress Afghanistan has been making and added, “The reconstruction of Afghanistan goes forward, from roads and bridges to schools, power plants and clinics.
And in the current year, America is providing security and reconstruction assistance at a level nearly three times higher than the year before.”

The Vice President tied the success with the full defeat of the extremism and terrorism, saying, “All future success will hinge on the defeat of the extremists and the terrorists who want to pull this country back to the dark ages. Here as well, the commitment of the United States is firm and unshakable.”

"ISAF has made a tremendous difference in the country and America will ask our NATO allies for an even stronger commitment for the future," Vice President Cheney told the news conference.

Referring to the role by new government in Pakistan in controlling its areas on the border with Afghanistan, Vice President said, “We believe, as I think most people do, that a government has an obligation to control its sovereign territory, to make certain that that territory doesn’t t become a safe haven or a sanctuary for -- especially -- terrorist groups intending to do harm to others. I would expect that Pakistan will certainly fulfill that obligation in the years ahead. It is important not only to the people of Pakistan, but also to others who might be threatened by developments in those areas if they re not properly controlled by the sovereign government of Pakistan.”

President Karzai thanked the government and the people of the United States for the assistance they have made and said the visit by the vice president to Afghanistan conveys a message of friendship, cooperation and support of America to the people of Afghanistan.

The President termed the role by NATO very important in ensuring security and stability in Afghanistan and insisted, “As the Afghan army gets stronger and stronger, and so will be lesser the pressure on the international security forces. Until then, the cooperation between Afghanistan and the rest of the international community is a must, both for the war against terrorism and stability in Afghanistan.”

In respond to a question about whether Afghanistan “risks becoming a failed state”, the President said, “Afghanistan was not a failed state, Afghanistan was a destroyed state. In the rebuilding of the destroyed state we have taken significant steps, from not having even one kilometer of a paved road, now we have more than 3,000 kilometers of paved highways and other roads. Go to schools, go to hospitals, go to lots of other reconstruction activities in the rebuilding of Afghanistan. For the past six years we have also built the institutions and the government, elections, parliament, democracy, political parties, freedom of speech. From one television channel -- the government one -- not functioning very well in 2002, today we have 14 television channels and hundreds of newspapers and radios and media. So Afghanistan cannot be categorized as a failed state. We were a formidable nation without a government, without the institutions.”

In answer to another question about Afghanistan’s expectation from the new government in Pakistan, the President said the two countries enjoy a good relationship and hope this relationship can deepen and strengthen even further especially in the area of the joint fight against terrorism, which threatens both the nations.