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| Afghanistan |
| Karzai sworn in for 2nd term as Afghan president |
| 2009-11-20 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Afghan President Hamid Karzai was sworn in for a second term on Thursday, vowing to combat corruption and reaching out to his political rivals under Western pressure to restore legitimacy. Karzai took the oath of office as the U.S.-led war stretches into a ninth year, leaving record numbers of soldiers and civilians dead and with Taliban control extending deeper into the country after an election mired in fraud. Delivering an inaugural address before visiting foreign ministers, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Karzai addressed each of the huge challenges facing his government but the West has demanded actions, not words. "We have to learn from our mistakes and shortcomings of the last eight years," he said in a speech designed to win over his detractors. He said his country's security forces should be ready to take over responsibility of unstable areas in three years and called for a "loya jirga," a traditional grand assembly, which under Afghanistan's constitution can take precedence over all government institutions including the presidency itself. |
| Posted by:Fred |