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Gates holds talks in Afghanistan Karzai appeals for forces funding
(19 minutes later)
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has begun a visit to Afghanistan, following President Barack Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops. Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, has warned that it will take 15 years before it is able to pay for the costs of maintaining its own security forces.
Mr Gates has held talks with President Karzai, and will meet US soldiers. After talks with visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, Mr Karzai said he hoped the US and the international community would continue funding them.
He said his message was that the US was "in this thing to win". He also said he would tell Afghan officials that Washington was a long-time partner. Mr Gates said the US would not turn away from Afghanistan and abandon it.
In the US, America's top soldier bluntly told troops: "We are not winning, which means we are losing." His unannounced arrival in Kabul came a week after US President Barack Obama said he was sending 30,000 more troops.
Speaking to soldiers - including some bound for Afghanistan - Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen said the message to insurgents "keeps getting better and better and more keep coming". We are not winning, which means we are losing Adm Mike MullenChairman, US Joint Chiefs of Staff
Mr Gates said that in his talks with Mr Karzai, he would discuss ways of implementing the US decision to send further troops. Nato member states have agreed to deploy another 7,000 soldiers between them.
As the security situation improves and we're able, over time, to reduce our forces Robert Gates On Sunday, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm Mike Mullen, bluntly told troops in Kentucky: "We are not winning, which means we are losing."
On his way to Kabul, he said he would tell his hosts that the US intended "to be their partner for a long time". "As we are losing, the message traffic out there to [militant] recruits keeps getting better and better and more keep coming," he said.
But he said they would also talk about training up Afghan security forces for an eventual US withdrawal. 'Long-term partners'
"As the security situation improves and we're able, over time, to reduce our forces, the civilian, developmental, economic and other kinds of relations between us will become the predominant part of the relationship," the Reuters news agency quoted him as saying. At a joint news conference at the presidential palace in Kabul on Monday, Mr Gates was keen to stress that the US would not desert Afghanistan, despite Mr Obama's announcement that a gradual military withdrawal could begin in 18 months.
UK Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth is also in Afghanistan on an unannounced visit. The two countries would need to be long-term partners, he said.
He has arrived in Helmand Province, where he will meet British troops, following the announcement of the 100th UK military death there this year. The US wants to the number of Afghan security personnel to rise to 400,000
The defence secretary said Mr Karzai needed to take a tougher line on corruption, but added that many ministers were competent and did not need to be replaced when a new cabinet is announced in the coming days.
Mr Karzai said he was committed to doing so and that he would inform parliament of the names of a number of proposed ministers.
Both men then agreed that it was a priority to strengthen the Afghan security forces in order to help international troops tackle insurgents.
But Mr Karzai warned that it would be a long time before Afghanistan would be able to pay the cost of maintaining its own army and police, which the US wants to quadruple in size to 400,000 troops by 2013.
"We hope that the international community and the United States, as our first ally, will help Afghanistan reach the ability to sustain a force," he said.
"Afghanistan is looking forward to taking over responsibility in terms of paying for its forces and delivering to its forces with its own resources, but that will not be for another 15 years."
But Mr Karzai was also cautiously optimistic that they would be able to begin taking over responsibility for security in some "critical" parts of the country within two years, before taking charge nationwide in five years' time.
CorruptionCorruption
Mr Obama has ordered 30,000 more US troops to be sent to Afghanistan as quickly as possible, bringing US troop strength in the country to more than 100,000. On his way to Kabul, Mr Gates told reporters he believed the US had mistakenly abandoned Afghanistan after Soviet troops withdrew and understood that Afghans feared they would be left to fight the Taliban alone.
Nato allies in Afghanistan have agreed to contribute another 7,000 soldiers between them. As the security situation improves and we're able to reduce our forces, the civilian, developmental, economic and other kinds of relations between us will become the predominant part of the relationship US Defence Secretary Robert Gates
The US will have more than 100,000 soldiers in Afghanistan He said he would assure Mr Karzai and his advisers that "we are not going to repeat the situation in 1989" and that "we intend to be their partner for a long time to come".
Announcing the surge, Mr Obama said the mission in Afghanistan was to defeat al-Qaeda, reverse the Taliban's momentum and deny them the ability to overthrow the government. "As the security situation improves and we're able, over time, to reduce our forces, the civilian, developmental, economic and other kinds of relations between us will become the predominant part of the relationship," he added.
The president has said the US will start to pull out of Afghanistan by July 2011. Mr Gates also said the US would be "watching the appointments that get made" in Afghanistan's new cabinet, and that it was important to have "capable and honest ministers" in the crucial roles.
But the BBC's Martin Patience in Kabul says Mr Gates will want to reassure Mr Karzai that the withdrawal will depend on the situation on the ground and the adequate training of Afghan security forces. The BBC's Martin Patience in Kabul says the US is running out of patience with Afghan promises to tackle corruption and now wants to see clear action taken against senior officials found to be corrupt.
Mr Gates is also expected to use his visit to discuss efforts to curb corruption in Afghanistan.
Mr Karzai, who was recently re-elected in a poll marred by widespread fraud, is expected to name his new cabinet within days.
Mr Gates said the US would be "watching the appointments that get made" and that it was important to have "capable and honest ministers" in the crucial roles, the Associated Press news agency reported.
The US is running out of patience with Afghan promises to tackle corruption and now wants to see clear action taken against senior officials found to be corrupt, says our correspondent.
On Monday, the mayor of Kabul was sentenced in his absence to four years in prison for corruption, on charges related to more than $16,000 (£9,800) of public money.On Monday, the mayor of Kabul was sentenced in his absence to four years in prison for corruption, on charges related to more than $16,000 (£9,800) of public money.
Abdul Ahad Sahebi was the first high-profile official to face such charges under Mr Karzai's second term. Abdul Ahad Sahebi was the first high profile official to face such charges under Mr Karzai's second term.
His whereabouts are not clear. One report suggested he had been arrested late on Monday, while another said he was at work in his office as usual.His whereabouts are not clear. One report suggested he had been arrested late on Monday, while another said he was at work in his office as usual.