Karzai sworn in for second five-year term
As Karzai vowed to make the country safer, an explosion in violent southern Afghanistan killed two US service members, NATO said. Jilani Farahe, deputy chief of police for Zabul province said the blast was caused by a suicide car bomber detonating his explosives near the gate of a NATO base.
Karzai also said he wanted private Afghan and foreign security companies to stop operating in the country within two years.
“We are determined that by the next five years, the Afghan forces are capable of taking the lead in ensuring security and stability across the country,” with foreign troops only responsible for support and training.”
Karzai promised to go after corrupt officials. His government “is committed to end the culture of impunity and violation of law and bring to justice those involved in spreading corruption and abuse of public property”.
Karzai won this year’s fraud-marred presidential election after his main rival, Abdullah Abdullah, pulled out of a run-off, saying it was impossible for the vote to be fair. But Karzai invited those who ran in the election to work together for the benefit of the country.
“I would like to invite all the presidential candidates, including my brother, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, to come together to achieve the important task of national unity, and make our common home, Afghanistan, proud and prosperous,” he said.
He stopped short, however, of inviting him into his government.
Abdullah, who served as Karzai’s foreign minister for several years, said it was Karzai’s administration that had created the problems.
Foreign reaction was positive.
“This was a speech with the right emphases. It fulfilled our expectations,” said German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. “We will take President Karzai at his word and expect that the right words will be followed by the right doings.”
Karzai was sworn in to a second five-year term by the head of the Supreme Court during a ceremony attended by hundreds of Afghan and foreign dignitaries from more than 40 countries. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and British Foreign Minister David Miliband were among them.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Karzai yesterday, saying his inauguration speech marked a “new starting point” for the war-torn country.
Speaking to reporters after attending the ceremony, Clinton praised his commitment to eradicating endemic official corruption.
