Clinton meets Karzai, demands reforms help Afghans

In an unannounced visit to Kabul, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned Karzai privately that future civilian aid would depend in part on how his government performs in such areas as developing an effective army and curbing cronyism, according to an American official. Publicly, she told reporters that Karzai had begun to tackle corruption but “not nearly enough.’’

Clinton also met with foreign ministers from about a dozen nations who are in the capital to attend today’s inauguration of Karzai, who won a second presidential term following an election marred by fraud.

“I think that there’s a very clear understanding, on the part of not only President Karzai but his government, that results of this election have to be seen and felt in the lives of the people of Afghanistan,’’ she said today, sitting in a circle of chairs with diplomatic officials from Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, Japan, and a host of other nations.

She said the Karzai government understands the international community is “willing to support and encourage the next years of effort of the people and government of Afghanistan, but that we expect outcomes that deliver on security, the buildup of an Afghan national security force as well as a national police force, tangible benefits that flow to the people of Afghanistan and an accountable, transparent government - as far as that can be obtained - as well as a strong stand against corruption.’’

The meeting, hosted by US Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry, came before the diplomats were to leave for the palace to attend the inaugural, being held under tight security in the capital.

Clinton’s trip represented part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to tie the pending troop increase in Afghanistan to more effective efforts by its partners in the region.

The White House is developing “clear targets’’ for both the Afghan and Pakistani governments, possibly with specific timelines, as a way to signal that the American military presence will not last indefinitely, American officials said. It is not yet clear what the administration is willing to do if the targets are not met.

Among other demands, the officials said, the administration will insist that Afghanistan fight corruption, accelerate troop training and retention, and funnel development assistance to areas the Taliban dominate. As for Pakistan, the officials said, the White House plan would press Islamabad to keep pressure on its insurgents and on Al Qaeda and, most important, go after militant groups that until now they have not taken on aggressively.

Material from the Associated Press was included in this report.