Karzai Pledges Changes In Second Term

(AP)  Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai promised Thursday to prosecute corrupt government officials and end a culture of impunity, speaking during an inauguration closely watched by the international community for signs that his administration is moving beyond the cronyism and graft of the past five years.

Karzai has come under intense international pressure to clean up his government, and has often bristled at the criticism of corruption leveled at him from Western powers.

After being sworn in to a second five-year term, Karzai said his government was doing whatever it could to implement reforms, and pledged that Afghan forces would be able to take control of the country's security in the next five years.

He also said he believed the "problem of international terrorism" in his country would be overcome.

"We are trying our best to implement social, judicial and administrative reforms in our country," Karzai said. "Being a president is a heavy task and we will try our best to honestly fulfill this task in the future."

The ceremony was attended by about 800 Afghan and foreign dignitaries from more than 40 countries. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and British Foreign Minister David Miliband were among them.

Karzai said that a conference would be held soon in Kabul to address ways to tackle corruption, and that his government would take its fight against drug trafficking seriously, prosecuting those who are linked to narcotics as well as those who are engaged in corruption.

"Those who spread corruption should be tried and prosecuted," he said. "Corruption is a very dangerous enemy of the state."

The president insisted he would select "expert ministers" capable of providing competent leadership.

Karzai won this year's fraud-marred presidential election by default, after his main rival, Abdullah Abdullah, pulled out of a runoff, saying it was impossible for the vote to be fair.

During his speech, the president also welcomed Afghans representing all tribes and ethnicities who turned out for his inauguration and said it demonstrated national unity. He also thanked the other presidential candidates who ran in the election and invited them to contribute to the new government.

"People should know that only the votes of the people can legitimize the government," Karzai said.

Seeking to portray himself as a unifying force in the country, Karzai exclaimed, "I am the servant of all the people of Afghanistan, from every ethnicity, every tribe, from every place, from every province from every age, whether they are small children whether they are old people, women I invite all the presidential candidates to come and help in serving this nation."

[stychokiller]

If things don't improve in Afghanistan, there will probably only be a very short 3rd term for Karzai, or perhaps not even a complete 2nd one:
Posit one: Actually do as promised and clean house -- make lots of powerful enemies and get assassinated.
Posit two: Continue giving lip-service to actual reform -- the U.S. withdraws its forces and the country sinks into anarchy (again!)
Posit three: Continue giving li-service to actual reform -- the U.S. does not withdraw from the country and the Decepticrats get thrown out of power in the U.S.
What do you think will happen?

[us_1776]

Karzai was the installed puppet of Bush/Cheney. And after Bush basically ignored him for 6 years Karzai went rogue and started drug dealing and working with our adversaries.

Mr. Karzai you are going to have to show a HUGE turnaround before you will be trusted again. The abandonment by Bush was wrong. But engaging in this huge level of corruption was not how you fix things.

[Sloughfoot]

I think some of you doubt Karzai's promises. Hmmmm!

[rocketjl]

Was that Karzai or Obama that promises changes in how his administration does business - in his second term??????

[stillunbanable]

"Karzai Pledges Changes In Second Term"

What was wrong with making changes in the first term?

[gilmomuff]

Karzai is quite a PEDDLER, like his friend here : fdskli http://ta.gg/3s4
advertising his wares on this place reserved for COMMENTS...

Both could easily sell their mother for a gain.

Well, the writing is on the sad Afghan wall that our friendly forces are preparing
to dump Karzai, his brother and associates, before they can sell what is left of
their country to the highest bidder !

Or maybe we could -also- bid on it... ?

[wyodutch]

We can't attack a nation like Afghanistan... bomb their mud huts... destroy what little infrastructure they have... Then install a corrupt puppet to rule in our stead and expect anything but a big, pus-filled festering boil on the dimpled buttocks of America.

[r9119111]

I'm hoping for the day when money, greed and power are not the driving forces in our own country. Let us become a better example in the process. We are not without problems of our own.

[jab232]

If wishes were fishes, I'd have some fried. Karzai is just another failure Bush-Cheny and the GOP saddled us with.

[bubbadubba]

"Karzai Pledges Changes In Second Term"

What? Is Karzai a clone made from GW Bush's DNA?
The acts and sounds just like ole GW.