WASHINGTON, July 14: Afghanistan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah warned the United States on Monday that its credibility would be at stake unless it does more to help his country rebuild and strengthen the central government.
He also proposed another donors’ conference to raise up to $20 billion over five years and brought up the possibility of postponing elections scheduled for next year.
“Are we doing enough? While grateful for the great contributions of the international community, I think and I believe strongly that we are not doing enough,” Mr Abdullah told a meeting organized by Radio Free Europe and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.
“If in the year 2004 Kabul citizens are still in the dark because of (lack of) electricity ... this government will lose credibility, its friends will lose credibility,” he added.
The Afghan foreign minister said he continued to think the US was committed to success in Afghanistan. But he added: “One can understand other engagements of a country like the US but our case is a situation which would affect the ability and the credibility of the United States in relations with every other state.”
Referring indirectly to the difficulties the US faces restoring order in Iraq, Mr Abdullah said: “The test is in Afghanistan. Can we afford to fail the test in Afghanistan and be hopeful that we will make it somewhere else?”
“What is needed in Afghanistan is another international donors’ conference where we would have a review of what has happened in Afghanistan and add some long-term commitment for reconstruction,” he said.—Reuters
