Washington will closely monitor future financial aid to Afghanistan to ensure it does not "aid and abet bad behaviour" by the Kabul government, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an interview aired Sunday. Clinton said American financial assistance to Afghanistan will be targeted toward ministries with a proven track record for efficiency and transparency.
"There are certain ministries ... American money will not be going to," Clinton told CBS's "Face the Nation" television program. "Our aid is going to be based on a certification of accountability and transparency," she said.
"We've looked at every civilian assistance program and contract and we've said, 'look, we're not going to just aid and abet bad behavior'," she said.
"We will be putting the money where ... we think we've got people who are doing a good job," she said. She conceded that US officials may have done a less than stellar job in the past of keeping tabs on aid, but said that renewed efforts will be made to do so going forward. "Part of the challenge here is to begin to make the more difficult, complicated assessments that were not made before," she said.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates added during the same broadcast that aid would not be directed to a full-scale "nation-building" effort, but would be targeted in nature.
"What we are going to do is focus on the ministries that matter to our success and that contribute to the success of our strategy both with respect to al Qaeda and stabilising the security situation," he said. The defence secretary's remarks echoed those made last week by the White House, which said through its chief spokesman Robert Gibbs that Obama had told Afghan President Hamid Karzai that "it is time for a new chapter in Afghan governance." The White House on Wednesday warned Afghan President Hamid Karzai to fight corruption or see Washington bypass his cabinet and seek out lower level officials to provide essential services to Afghans.
When he unveiled his new Afghan strategy in a speech last Tuesday, Obama made it clear he expected major changes from the Karzai government's status quo. "The days of providing a blank check are over," Obama said, noting that Karzai sent the "right message about moving in a new direction" when he was inaugurated last month as president for another term. "Going forward, we will be clear about what we expect from those who receive our assistance," Obama said. "We'll support Afghan ministries, governors, and local leaders that combat corruption and deliver for the people. We expect those who are ineffective or corrupt to be held accountable," the president added.