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Wednesday, Dec 08, 2004

International

International

Terrorism will be rooted out: Karzai

Hamid Karzai holds the Quran as he is sworn in Afghanistan President in Kabul on Tuesday.

KABUL, DEC. 7. Hamid Karzai was sworn in on Tuesday as Afghanistan's first popularly-elected President, as the impoverished country tries to leave its brutal past behind and bolster a young democracy that still faces the twin threats of terrorism and drugs.

A smiling Mr. Karzai, wearing a traditional green robe and a black lambskin hat, received a standing ovation on his arrival for the solemn ceremony. The U.S. Vice-President, Dick Cheney, the highest-ranking American official to visit Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, was among the 600 guests, including 150 foreign dignitaries.

Global leaders present

After the Afghan national anthem reverberated around a restored hall of the war-damaged former royal palace, Mr. Karzai repeated the oath of allegiance read to him by Afghanistan's Chief Justice, Fazl Hadi Shinwari.

Mr. Karzai then swore in his two Vice-Presidents, Ahmad Zia Massood and Karim Khalili, members of the country's two largest ethnic minorities.

In his inaugural speech, Mr. Karzai said the hopes of ordinary Afghans would drive him during what is likely to be a tough five-year term.

He reiterated his main pledges — cracking down on the booming opium trade, disarming militias and lifting living standards. He said he would eradicate terrorism with the co-operation of the international community.

``We have now left a hard and dark past behind us and today we are opening a new chapter in our history in a spirit of friendship with the international community,'' Mr. Karzai said, speaking in Pashto and Dari, Afghanistan's two main languages.

He said the fight against terrorism was ``not yet over'' and urged sustained foreign aid and cooperation to defeat increasing links between extremists and drug-trafficking.

``The same cooperation has led to the rebuilding of the Afghan state and significant progress in restoring peace, stability and security to our country.''

Tight security

Wary of attacks by Taliban or Al-Qaeda militants on the proceedings, Afghan and international forces launched their biggest security operation since the October 9 election that gave Mr. Karzai a massive victory.

Mr. Cheney, arriving at the main U.S. base north of Kabul early on Tuesday, congratulated some of the 18,000 U.S. troops here for helping give democracy a chance to take root.

``For the first time the people of this country are looking confident about the future of freedom and peace,'' Mr. Cheney said.

``Freedom still has enemies here in Afghanistan, and you are here to make those enemies miserable.''

Mr. Karzai thanked the United States, his main sponsor, for its help. ``Without that help, Afghanistan would be in the hands of terrorists,'' he said after a brief meeting with Mr. Cheney. ``Terrorism as a force is gone. As individuals they are all around and we will continue to look for them.''

The list of 150 foreign dignitaries included the U.S. Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Kamal Kharrazi, and Pakistan's Interior Minister, Aftab Khan Sherpao. Lakhdar Brahimi, special adviser to the U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, represented the world body.

12 die in attacks

Overnight attacks near the Pakistani frontier that left 12 dead provided a reminder of threats to Afghan stability.

Dozens of militants armed with assault rifles and rockets attacked an Afghan military base in Khost province, sparking a firefight that left four Afghan soldiers and at least six militants dead, an Afghan commander said. — AP

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