Karzai Pledges Self-Sufficiency for Afghanistan

One year after the fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, officials with the unenviable task of bringing stability, law and order to the still-fragile country met in Germany to thrash out plans for a possible lasting peace, as feuding warlords continued to clash in the region west of Kabul.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai told representatives from the UN and donor countries gathered at Petersberg Palace near Bonn that his country was determined to be self-sufficient, but still desperately needed international help to achieve that goal. However, he avoided reminding international donors that only about €1.61 billion ($1.6bn) of the €5.23 billion ($5.2bn) pledged in aid for Afghanistan has so far materialized and instead focused on the work achieved since last year's historic meeting.

"A year ago, an agreement was signed here that provided a road map to the creation of a government that will have legitimacy both at home and abroad," Karzai said. "We are proud to have adhered to the major milestones of the Bonn Agreement."

Schröder says freedom must be fought for every day

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder told the delegation that the freedoms that began with the fall of the Taliban and that were pledged at the Bonn summit in 2001 "must be achieved and fought for every day."

"We know that the liberation, the establishing of security and the rebuilding of Afghanistan is a long process that requires patience from us all and long-term engagement," he told the summit.

German Foreign Minister Joshcka Fischer pledged Germany's commitment to the rebuilding and stability process by saying the German government would not turn its back on Afghanistan, and stressed that its development into a democratic country was imperative to the international struggle against terrorism.

Fischer warns of distractions

Fischer also expressed his country's concerns to delegates including the UN's special envoy to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and ministers from countries bordering Afghanistan that an international campaign against Iraq might divert attention from the on-going problems in Afghanistan.

The continuing in-fighting between warlords who seized control of self-governed regions during the U.S.-led campaign has threatened to drag the fledgling Afghan government into yet another disastrous civil war. It comes as an embarrassing example of the central government's lack of control outside Kabul and the fragile state of the provinces.

Karzai seemed acutely aware of the problems facing his fledgling government and the difficulties in getting power struggles like the current one between Pashtun commander Amanullah Khan and rival Ismail Khan, the Tajik governor of Herat, under control. Karzai made no mention of his government's desire in extending Western military assistance beyond the walls of Kabul but laid out a vision of homeland law enforcement.

Karzai told the international delegation that his administration had decided to create a "small, effective, well-paid" national army.

Karzai hopes to police cities 'free from armed elements'

"We envision our cities to be centers of economic activity and free from the presence of armed elements," he told the delegates in Bonn to enthusiastic applause. "Creation of a national police that embodies the spirit of service to the citizen and is a trusted organization is critical to achieving our objective."

Karzai said the national army he aimed to create in Afghanistan would consist of no more than 70,000 soldiers. U.S. Afghan coordinator David Johnson has said that it would cost €352.3 million ($350 million) a year for two years to train, equip and sustain such a force.

Current Afghan army dwarfed by feuding militias

International peacekeepers in Kabul estimate that the private militias controlled by warlords and governors around the country, which can number up to 30,000, dwarf the current national army which is now between 1,000 to 1,500 men strong.

The Afghan president added: "The precondition for these reforms is an overhaul of the security sector and the creation of a national army and national police force that would be the instruments for implementing the decisions of a legitimate government."

"Clearly, we face a major set of challenges," he said.