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Home » Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton » Secretary's Remarks » 2010 Secretary Clinton's Remarks » Remarks by Secretary Clinton: May 2010 » US-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Discussions Subscribe to Updates U.S.-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Discussions Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Afghan President Hamid Karzai Ben Franklin Room Washington, DC May 11, 2010 SECRETARY CLINTON: Good morning. Thank you all very much and welcome. PRESIDENT KARZAI: Good morning. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, on behalf of President Obama, his Administration and the American people, I offer a very warm welcome to President Karzai and the members of the Afghan Government gathered here in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the State Department. President Karzai, it was a privilege for me to attend your inauguration in Kabul last fall and to see you again in London earlier this year. But it is a special pleasure to host you and your distinguished delegation in Washington for what is truly an historic gathering this week. Now, before we begin, I might suggest that if we are searching for a model of how to meet tough international challenges with skill, dedication, and teamwork, we need only look to the Afghan National Cricket Team. For those of you who don’t follow cricket, which is most of the Americans, suffice it to say that Afghanistan did not even have a cricket team a decade ago. And last month, the team made it to the World Twenty Championships featuring the best teams in the world. Well, today, we have our own top teams from the Afghan and U.S. Governments. Representing the Obama Administration are Defense Secretary Gates, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, CIA Director Panetta, FBI Director Miller, Chairman Mullen, Ambassador Holbrooke, USAID Administrator Shah, Ambassador Eikenberry, General McChrystal, Deputy Secretary Lew, as well as other leaders from across our government. Mr. President, less than two weeks ago, we received another stark reminder of the challenges we face together. The attempted terrorist attack in Times Square offered fresh evidence that violent extremism not only ignores geographic boundaries, but all boundaries of human decency. Addressing this deadly threat is a shared responsibility for us all. And in that spirit, let us turn to what brings us here today, our strategic partnership. This partnership is a long-term commitment by the American people to the Afghan people. Our nations will work together and with the international community to build a stable and prosperous Afghanistan that is a force for peace, progress, and prosperity for its own people and its region, a bulwark against Al-Qaida and other violent extremists rather than a haven for them. And in so doing, we will advance and sustain the security of both our nations. And this commitment, Mr. President, will endure long after U.S. combat troops have left, because we have learned the lessons of the past. Before September 11th, neither we nor our international partners paid enough attention to the struggles of the Afghan people who sacrificed over 1 million lives during decades of war. The grave situation in Afghanistan had implications for the security of the United States and our allies. While the Afghan people suffered under the Taliban, al-Qaida found safe haven in parts of the country and launched the most deadly attack ever perpetrated on American soil. President Obama has made it clear that we will not allow that kind of detachment and oversight again. That is why his comprehensive review of our Afghan policy resulted in a substantial increase in our commitment to Afghanistan -- not only military, but civilian as well. We know that the security of the United States and Afghanistan is shared. But more than that, we know that our futures are shared. 1 of 4 The Afghans are a great people who have struggled and suffered immensely. But rather than be broken by tragedy, they are determined to face the future with a new orientation, looking first themselves and their own government and then to The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Pub the partnership with the international community to build a foundation for long-term stability. Affairs, manages this site as a portal for informatio the U.S. State Department. Now, while we have no illusions about the difficult road ahead, we should also remember how far Afghanistan has come. External links to other Internet sites should not be In Afghanistan today, there is an emerging and vibrant civil society, a burgeoning free press which now boasts over 150 construed as an endorsement of the views or priva FM radio stations. There are also 23 television stations compared to five just a few years ago, a growing telecom industry policies contained therein. with more than 10 million mobile phones in a country where there were only 80,000 just seven years ago, a healthcare system that now provides access to basic services to two-thirds of the population, a dramatic increase, and an education system that once had 900,000 students under the Taliban, all male, and now has 6 million, 2 million of whom are girls. Progress in Afghanistan is real, but it is also fragile. The country remains under constant threat from extremists who use violence to achieve political ends and promote criminal enterprises including narcotics trafficking. Its police have suffered casualties in far greater numbers than the international forces. Its government officials continue to be targets of ruthless assassination campaigns. In Kandahar, motorcycle hit squads prey on government workers, and a few weeks ago, assassinated the deputy mayor. So it will take time and persistence to cement the gains already made and to secure more as we confront the challenges. Our strategic partnership aims to do that through long-term and deep collaboration between our governments and our peoples. As we work with our Afghan and international partners, Mr. President, your government can begin to assume greater responsibility for security starting next year, but aided by our continued support. A sustained focus on economic, social, and political development as well as continued training of Afghan security forces is essential to help build the effective and durable institutions necessary for long-term stability. So let me be clear. As we look toward a responsible, orderly transition in the international combat mission in Afghanistan, we will not abandon the Afghan people. Our civilian commitment will remain long into the future. I’d like to speak just briefly about our key priorities -- security, development, governance, and reintegration and reconciliation. Each is integral to achieving and sustaining stability and progress. Improving security is the essential first step. Today, courageous Afghan soldiers are fighting side by side with the brave men and women of the United States and more than 40 other countries. This partnership will help Afghans build capacity so they can assume lead responsibility for security over time as conditions permit. And we will continue to equip, train, and support the Afghan national security forces after our combat role winds down. We are also working with our Afghan partners to establish an effective and responsible police force. The police are the face of government that people see every day. They are essential to sustaining security after military gains. This is a complicated undertaking and progress comes slowly. But we are reforming training and beginning to see results through programs to rebuild trust and increase professionalism in the ranks. But we know that security cannot be divorced from development. So when we added troops this year, we also tripled the number of U.S. civilians on the ground. These diplomats and development experts are partnering with our military and their Afghan counterparts, helping to strengthen institutions and expand economic opportunities in areas like agriculture. But we know that long-term stability requires improved government capacity at every level. It requires a common and concerted effort against corruption, implementing the vision and proposals that the President laid out in his inaugural address and at the London conference. And I applaud President Karzai’s steps to fight corruption, including by strengthening the role of the high office of Oversight. And in fact, the head of that office is here with us today. President Karzai will soon outline a reintegration and reconciliation process for Taliban fighters and other insurgents who renounce al-Qaida, abide by the Afghan constitution, and cease violence against the Afghan state. As President Obama has said, we stand ready to support our Afghan partners in their search for peace and we welcome the upcoming consultative peace jirga which will allow Afghans to express their views and support. And we look forward, Mr. President, to the inclusion of women in all aspects of your reintegration and reconciliation efforts and in all aspects of Afghan society. We share your perspective that Afghanistan’s women are critical to the country’s reconstruction and stabilization and must be afforded opportunities to contribute fully. And I am delighted that we have two women ministers from Afghanistan with us today. And women’s issues will be considered in all of the discussions as well as in a separate session co-chaired by Ambassador Verveer and Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Afzali. Today, in the strategic dialogue working groups, senior officials from our two governments will discuss the concrete steps needed to achieve Afghanistan’s security and development goals. These conversations will contribute to the implementation plans the Afghan Government will permit -- will present at the Kabul conference on July 20th and I look forward to leading the U.S. delegation. Mr. President, as we move forward, we can’t expect the United States and Afghanistan to agree on every issue.