The 152-page report that the Pentagon submitted to Congress highlights the extent of concerns about Karzai”s ability to demonstrate that NATO is a viable partner to change the situation in Afghanistan after more than eight years of conflict.
Also known just before the visit Karzai held between 10 and 14 May to Washington, where he will meet U.S. President, Barack Obama, and possibly try to ease concerns the effectiveness of a costly deployment of 30,000 additional U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
&1000quot;While Afghanistan has made some progress in the fight against corruption, is special in the legal and institutional reforms, real change is still elusive and political will, in particular, remains uncertain, “says the document.
warned that the public perception of government action against corruption is” clearly negative ” and that the fault extends to both international forces and the international community.
The report says the village only supports the Karzai government in 29 districts of the 121 Afghans who are considered to be of greater strategic importance in the war.
“The perception of corruption within the Afghan government, the government”s failure to provide essential services, and operator behavior of government officials (and Afghan security forces) are contributing to the success of the campaign of the insurgents, “he said.
At the same time, the report said that Taliban insurgents are coming under pressure” unprecedented “that has led to increased tension and sporadic low morale.
” From the perspective of the insurgents, this tension is made by the recent arrests of several insurgent leaders high profile in Pakistan by local authorities and the elimination of many commanders based in Afghanistan, “he said.
Karzai caused a dispute with Washington recently accusing officials of countries and Western perpetrating voter fraud in Afghanistan, in comments that the White House considered false and disturbing, and the State Department said it was absurd.
Karzai also said he had a fine line between cooperation and occupation, and that Afghans should see that their government is not composed of “puppet”.
tensions between Karzai and the West are at a particularly uncomfortable when the force US-led plans its largest operation in the war to regain control of the southern city of Kandahar, Karzai”s home and center of the Taliban insurgency.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Adam Entous, Editing by Peter Cooney Spanish)