Afghanistan makes promises, but no guarantees
Thursday, 22 July 2010
KABUL, July 21 (AFP): An Afghan pledge to take over national security by 2014 plays into the hands of Western supporters eager to pull their soldiers out of an unpopular war, but there are no guarantees of success.
War-weary Western leaders have welcomed the latest promises from Afghanistan to take responsibility for security, control spending of billions of dollars in aid and broker a peace process to end a nine-year Taliban insurgency.
But observers said the true focus for the West is pulling their soldiers out of a war increasingly unpopular with voters, also tired of pouring their taxes into the impoverished country.
"Now the focus is very much on transition and donors being able to tell their voters when their soldiers are coming home," said Ashley Jackson, head of policy and advocacy for Oxfam International in Afghanistan.
"I think this truly is the last strategy that will get this kind of backing from donors. Patience and support are running out," she told AFP.
Tuesday's Kabul conference drew representatives from around 80 countries and organisations to endorse a proposal by President Hamid Karzai that Afghan forces take over responsibility for national security by 2014.
Karzai also won a concession for the Afghan government to control within two years 50 percent of aid, up from the previous 20 percent.
War-weary Western leaders have welcomed the latest promises from Afghanistan to take responsibility for security, control spending of billions of dollars in aid and broker a peace process to end a nine-year Taliban insurgency.
But observers said the true focus for the West is pulling their soldiers out of a war increasingly unpopular with voters, also tired of pouring their taxes into the impoverished country.
"Now the focus is very much on transition and donors being able to tell their voters when their soldiers are coming home," said Ashley Jackson, head of policy and advocacy for Oxfam International in Afghanistan.
"I think this truly is the last strategy that will get this kind of backing from donors. Patience and support are running out," she told AFP.
Tuesday's Kabul conference drew representatives from around 80 countries and organisations to endorse a proposal by President Hamid Karzai that Afghan forces take over responsibility for national security by 2014.
Karzai also won a concession for the Afghan government to control within two years 50 percent of aid, up from the previous 20 percent.