U.S. Hopes Billions for Development Will Turn the Tide in Afghanistan War

Kabul, Afghanistan July, 19, 2010— -- As Americans grow increasingly skeptical about the war, their top diplomat arrived in the Afghan capital today under unprecedented security, hoping to help lead a major international conference that will turn over greater control of the future of Afghanistan to its own, struggling government.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flew to Kabul from Islamabad, Pakistan, where she unveiled half a billion dollars worth of development programs intended to persuade Pakistanis that the United States' interests in their country go beyond terrorism.

Her trip is designed to create positive momentum for the war in Afghanistan; trying to earn crucial support for US policy in Pakistan while transferring control of billions of dollars to the government in Afghanistan and boosting efforts to persuade insurgents to lay down their arms.

In a joint communiqué to be issued at the Tuesday conference – attended by more than 50 foreign ministers – the international community will pledge to spend most of its money here on Afghan priorities, rather than its own. In return, the Afghan government will promise to reduce corruption and increase accountability, setting benchmarks for achieving those goals.

Afghanistan's leaders have long complained that the vast majority of the hundreds of billions of dollars being spent here is controlled by foreign countries, who often use it to fund pet projects overseen by foreign companies. They argue that many Afghans have suffered as a result, and Clinton conceded as much today. "We have to do a better job of trying to more carefully channel and monitor our own aid, " she said.

But Western officials also argue that the Afghan government simply hasn't been ready before now to oversee the money.

"There has been a change," said Mark Sedwill, NATO's civilian representative, in an interview. "What we're seeing is more confidence from the international community that the Afghan government is ready for that leadership role and ready to make those commitments and able to deliver on those commitments, and that's what's really changed the [international community's] willingness to operate in this way."