WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies are pressing Afghan President Hamid Karzai to agree to a pact that includes an anti-corruption commission, merit-based appointments and gives more authority to local leaders, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
From: www.reuters.com
By Sue Pleming and Adam Entous
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies are pressing Afghan President Hamid Karzai to agree to a pact that includes an anti-corruption commission, merit-based appointments and gives more authority to local leaders, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
The proposed deal could help President Barack Obama make the case for a counterinsurgency strategy that hinges in large part on success winning Afghan public support for Karzai's government as an alternative to the Taliban.
U.S. officials see improved governance as critical to resuscitating the standing of the re-elected president, who emerged this week as the victor after a fraud-marred election stoked serious questions about his legitimacy both at home and abroad.
One Western source briefed on the Kabul discussions said the compact could amount to a "crutch" for some skeptical U.S. lawmakers to back whatever troop increase Obama settles on.