Kerry's trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan - some articles on its conclusion

[karynnj]

I had posted two threads this week - one on Kerry's Pakistan visit and one on his Afghanistan visit. Now, looking at some articles on Kerry's comments on the Pakistan trip and on what he did when he quietly returned to Afghanistan after the Pakistan visit I realized seeing the excellent NPR article that it would be better to post a new thread - addressing both - because there are real connections. The chief among them is the theme of fighting corruption, something that BOTH countries had a long history of committing. (For those of us, especially BLM, who know the amount of corruption Kerry fought in our own government, I wonder if that background helps him in pushing other countries to work against corruption.)

Here is a Boston Globe article that Kerry returned to Afghanistan after visiting Pakistan instead of returning to the US as was apparently planned. There was no real comment on what the reasons were.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2010/08/kerry_returns_t.html


Here are two that two deal with what Kerry did in Afghanistan when he returned:

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has vowed renewed efforts to combat corruption, a major bone of contention with Washington as its troops battle Taliban insurgents, U.S. Senator John Kerry said on Friday.

Corruption and governance in Afghanistan are being scrutinised in Washington as U.S. President Barack Obama plans a strategy review in December, a month after mid-term Congressional elections will be held and amid sagging support for the war.
<snip>
Kerry, head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, described the government's anti-corruption unit -- an apparent source of friction in recent weeks -- as a sovereign Afghan institution that would welcome outside expertise.
<snip>
Foreign security companies, who have over 30,000 local guards on their books, are deeply unpopular in Afghanistan where they have a reputation for arrogance and even recklessness. Karzai, sitting next to Kerry at his presidential palace in Kabul, said the timeframe was final.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSGE67J0FI

After a series of meetings with Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), President Hamid Karzai said Friday that he would support the independent work of two anti-corruption law enforcement units that had come under political pressure from his office following the arrest of one of his aides last month.
<snip>
President Karzai reiterated that it was a key national security interest of Afghanistan to address corruption and its underlying causes comprehensively and across the board," Kerry said in a statement.

"The president and I agreed that the work of these entities must be allowed to continue free from outside interference or political influence, including with respect to ongoing cases," he added.

Kerry and Karzai made an appearance together after their meeting Friday. Karzai's office issued a separate statement saying the two agreed on the need to reduce civilian casualties, disband private security firms and accelerate the process of Afghan control over the nation's affairs. Karzai's statement added that the anti-corruption teams should be free of "foreign interference or political influence."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/20/AR2010082002034.html


The new NPR article, speaks of both Pakistan and Afghanistan and includes audio.

On the heels of a trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, acknowledged that the flooding in Pakistan could lead to instability there.

"I think it's critical for all of us to understand that potential, and try to head it off, which means an adequate response to the flood demands," he told NPR's Robert Siegel, adding that "the government is doing everything in its power, but they're going to need help."
<snip>
Kerry, who has sponsored a major aid bill in the Senate, providing aid to Pakistan, said it is important to acknowledge how much progress the country has made, fighting against corruption.
<snip>
Kerry said that, in a statement he and Karzai co-signed, the president "made it clear that he intends to press forward with that case, and that the major crimes unit will be able to function as an independent entity, free from political influence."

(the case referred to is the corruption case of a Karzai aide, who Karzai got released as soon as he was arrested.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/08/20/129327894/it-s-critical-to-understand-instability-risk-in-pakistan-john-kerry-tells-npr

This NPR article is fantastic and it includes audio.

[karynnj]

1. View from New Zealand

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10667777

[karynnj]

2. Boston Globe article

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/08/21/karzai_now_says_he_will_back_anticorruption_panels/

[BlueIris]

3. Thanks, kj. I'm so happy that someone in the Senate is paying attention

to the flooding in Pakistan. The situation is grave and needs major aid stat.