West wants president to tackle fraud, UK ambassador takes larger role and former Taliban are given rehabilitation chance Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, is under intense western pressure to take more serious action against corruption at the start of a critical conference in London about his country’s future. Donor nations rejected an anti-corruption plan presented by Karzai’s government last week as half-hearted, and asked him to come up with more ambitious measures for the Lancaster House conference, where his leadership will be seen as central in determining whether the war with the Taliban is winnable. The extent of doubts over his qualities became clear with the publication of classified memos sent by the US ambassador in Kabul, Karl Eikenberry, to Washington in November. In the diplomatic cables, published by the New York Times, he said Karzai “is not an adequate strategic partner” and “continues to shun responsibility for any sovereign burden”. “Sending additional forces will delay the day when Afghans will take over, and make it difficult, if not impossible, to bring our people home on a reasonable timetable,” Eikenberry wrote on 6 November. “An increased US and foreign role in security and governance will increase Afghan dependence, at least in the short term.” The depth of these reservations will inevitably damage attempts by more than 70 state delegations to demonstrate international resolve and unity
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Karzai told he cannot duck graft and remain credible