Clinton Makes Surprise Trip to Afghanistan

Updated 2:44 p.m. ET

Hillary Rodham Clinton, on her first trip to Afghanistan as U.S. secretary of state, said Wednesday that President Hamid Karzai's inauguration provides a new chance for him to strengthen government accountability and take tangible steps to improve the lives of Afghan citizens.

Karzai, who invited Clinton to dinner at his presidential palace, is under stiff pressure from the U.S. and other nations to fight pervasive corruption in his government. Many hope that in his inauguration speech Thursday, he will make concrete commitments to reform, helping the country move past a fraud-tainted election that undermined trust in the government.

"We stand at a critical moment on the eve of the inauguration of President Karzai's second term," Clinton told employees at the heavily secured U.S. Embassy compound in the capital. "There is now a clear window of opportunity for President Karzai and his government to make a new compact with the people of Afghanistan to demonstrate clearly that they're going to have accountability and tangible results that will improve the lives of the people who live throughout this magnificent country."

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Clinton's trip to Kabul comes just days after U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry, in leaked memos, questioned the wisdom of adding American troops at a time when the Afghan political situation is unstable and uncertain. Clinton lauded the U.S. military in her remarks, then went to meet with the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who has advocated sending tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops.

"Nobody knows better than our military commanders that troops alone cannot meet our goals of defeating al Qaeda, of helping the Afghans get the capacity to defend themselves and provide governance that will result in positive changes for the people of this country," she said.

"The military has performed brilliantly, time and time again, in confronting terrorism and protecting civilians and training security forces and defending borders, but this has got to be a common joint strategy that we look at from the beginning — not as an afterthought."

This is Clinton's fourth trip to the country, but first as the top U.S. diplomat. She arrived a few hours late in Kabul from Beijing where she was accompanying President Barack Obama on his trip to Asia. She is one of more than 40 dignitaries from the U.S., Europe and other countries scheduled to attend the event.

"We want to be a strong partner with the government and the people of Afghanistan — and I always say both. Because it's not either or, it has to be both," said Clinton, who has said the U.S. will not provide civilian aid to Afghanistan unless it can be sure the government can be accountable for the funds.

Karzai acknowledges rampant corruption in his impoverished nation, but also has complained that foreign aid is being wasted before it ever gets to the Afghan people and graft is pervasive in the international contracting process.