Afghanistan/US - strategy

Afghans not able to act alone for up to 20 years, says Karzai

Article published on the 2009-12-09 Latest update 2009-12-09 15:02 TU

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates shakes hands with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the Presidential Palace in Kabul.
Photos: Reuters/Justin Sullivan

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai told visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday that Afghanistan would need aid to fund its security forces for up to 20 more years, calling for a long-term commitment from the United States.

Karzai said his government would work to assume responsibility for Afghanistan's security within five years, but that the impoverished country lacks the funds to foot the entire bill.

His comments come as Gates, who is in the country for talks on implementing a new military strategy that involves deploying an extra 30,000 US troops, offered encouragement to Nato commanders at their headquarters in Afghanistan - and reiterated that the United States intended to start withdrawing its forces from July 2011.

"For 15 to 20 years, Afghanistan will not be able to sustain a force of that nature and capability with its own resources," President Karzai told a press conference.

"We hope that the international community and the United States, as our first ally, will help Afghanistan reach the ability to sustain a force."

US President Barack Obama's planned withdrawal schedule has sparked concern in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan that the Taliban could sit out the surge and attack a pared down force in 18 months' time.

Karzai said Afghan forces hoped to assume responsibility in critical areas in another two years and "hopefully with a maximum effort to add on the whole of the country [...] in five years time".

Gates is the first senior US official to visit Afghanistan since Obama announced the troop increase last week. 

The Pentagon chief welcomed Karzai's plan to take over security within five years.

"But we expect that this is a several year process," Gates said. "Whether it is three years or two years or four years I think remains to be seen. As President Obama has made it very clear, this is not an open-ended commitment."

About 400 students demonstrated in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, shouting "Deat to America!".

They were protesting after reports of civilian casualties in a Nato-led raid. Karzai's office said that six civilians, including a woman, deid when international forces carried out an operation in the eastern province of Laghman.

And Kabul Mayor Mir Abdual Ahad Sahebi returned to work Wednesday, after being sentenced on Monday for wasting public money in one of a number of corruption cases pending against him.

"I'm innocent,' Sahebi told the AFP news agency. "The whole thing is a conspiracy against me."

Foreign powers have given Karzai six months to clamp down on corruption.