Washington, DC - Following a meeting on Friday in Kabul with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John F. Kerry (D-MA), President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan pledged to allow two Afghan anti-corruption units to operate independently and free of political influence.
The two organizations, the Major Crimes Task Force and the Sensitive Investigative Unit, were involved earlier this month in the arrest of a Karzai administration official in connection with a corruption investigation. Both groups are mentored by U.S. law enforcement, but operate as independent Afghan entities.
President Karzai had ordered a review of the task force and the investigative unit following the arrest. But in his first direct public remarks about the two units, the Afghan leader promised that the two organizations would be “independent - absolutely, in full terms - as Afghan bodies to continue the fight against corruption."
Senator Kerry returned to Kabul after touring flood-damaged areas of Pakistan for Friday’s second round of talks on corruption and other issues with President Karzai. Senator Kerry delivered a strong message to the Afghan leader about the importance of tackling corruption in order to win the trust of the Afghan people and maintain the support of Congress and the American public. Senator Kerry described his series of conversations with the Afghan president as candid and “sometimes tough."
“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," Senator Kerry said following Friday’s meeting with Karzai at Gul Khana Palace. “In this spirit, we agreed on the importance of strengthening the Major Crimes Task Force and the Sensitive Investigative Unit. This means ensuring that they always operate as independent entities, led by Afghans welcoming expert support, and can fully pursue their mission of enhancing transparency and combating corruption."
Senator Kerry and President Karzai met twice on Tuesday, Aug. 17, in Kabul to discuss corruption, the role of private security companies and related matters. Senator Kerry traveled to Pakistan, where he viewed the areas devastated by floods. He returned to Kabul for the second round of talks with the president on Friday.
Chairman Kerry issued the following statement after his meeting with President Hamid Karzai today in Kabul:
“Today, I concluded a candid and productive series of conversations with President Karzai, sometimes joined by Ambassador Eikenberry, National Security Advisor Spanta and Foreign Minister Rassoul. We discussed many issues of common interest to Afghanistan and the United States and joint approaches to shared challenges, including the importance of eliminating civilian casualties to the maximum extent possible as we confront the enemy, addressing the serious threat posed by sanctuary for insurgents, effectively advancing our joint objectives of combating corruption and improving the delivery of basic service to build confidence for the Afghan people, and eliminating private security contractors and parallel structures as soon as possible.
“At this critical moment for Afghanistan, we emphasized the importance of strengthening our partnership and working cooperatively to meet the challenges ahead. We agreed on many key elements of the way forward.
“We agreed that it was of primary importance for Afghans to take the lead as soon as possible, with coalition support, in securing their nation.
“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. We recognized the positive steps taken by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and President Karzai in that effort to date, and the importance of continuing to follow up on key pledges made at the Kabul and London Conferences.
“In this spirit, we agreed on the importance of strengthening the Major Crimes Task Force and the Sensitive Investigative Unit. This means ensuring that they always operate as independent entities, led by Afghans welcoming expert support, and can fully pursue their mission of enhancing transparency and combating corruption. 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. We recognized the necessity of ensuring that these organizations respect human rights and the Afghan constitution. We agreed on the importance of providing a solid statutory basis for these entities, and agreed to work towards that goal as soon as possible.
“It was a constructive series of meetings which set forth a challenging set of priorities. The work of the days ahead, and the commitment of both sides to following through, will determine the ultimate success of our efforts."
