Bush, Karzai discuss stability in Afghanistan

President Bush commended Afghan President Hamid Karzai for his efforts by acknowledging in a meeting on Wednesday that Afghanistan is becoming a safer, more stable country, The Associated Press reported the same day.

“Mr. President, you have strong friends here,” Bush told Karzai. “I expect progress and you expect progress and I appreciate the report you have given me today.”

“I don’t know if you feel it in the United States but we feel it immensely in Afghanistan,” Karzai said, going on to highlight improvements in basic services such as roads and education.

Karzai asserted that the liberation of Afghanistan is often overlooked. However, the two leaders did not publicly mention Afghanistan’s record levels of poppy cultivation or the Taliban’s resurgence.

Karzai has pledged to initiate peace talks with the Taliban.

According to the article: “Bush, in New York for the annual gathering of the U.N. General Assembly, made only brief mention of the war in Afghanistan during his speech to world leaders Tuesday. He said the people of Afghanistan – and Iraq and Lebanon – were in a deadly fight for survival.”

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U.S. supports poppy eradication progress in Afghanistan, but calls for further reform

The U.S. State Department’s annual report on drug-trafficking recently identified 20 major drug-transit and drug-producing countries, including Afghanistan – which provides the majority of the world’s opium supply, according to Radio Free Europe /Radio Liberty.

The report praised Afghanistan for marked improvement against poppy cultivation, particularly in the northern provinces, 13 of which are now poppy-free, according to Christy McCampbell, head of the department’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.

However, McCampbell concedes that the same progress has not been evident in the southern provinces, where the Taliban has a stronghold.

“Despite the significant gains the country has made since 2001, the country does continue to face tremendous challenges. Not addressing these challenges now could undermine security, compromise democratic legitimacy, and imperil international support for vital assistance to that country,” McCampbell said.

Poppy cultivation continues to be a major source of income for the many of Afghanistan’s farmers and accounts for approximately one-third of the entire country’s economy. Although the U.S. will not immediately withdraw aid from the country, Afghan President Hamid Karzai continues to be pressured to do more to combat the poppy problem.

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