Clean up Afghan corruption or lose aid, Clinton warns
Last Updated: Sunday, November 15, 2009 | 8:58 PM ET
CBC News
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives for the leaders reception and lunch during the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Singapore on Saturday. (Japan Pool/Associated Press)Afghanistan won't get any more civilian aid from the United States unless it does more to tackle corruption and goes after those suspected of looting aid in the past, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday.
"I have made it clear that we're not going to be providing any civilian aid to Afghanistan unless we have a certification that if it goes into the Afghan government in any form, that we're going to have ministries that we can hold accountable," Clinton said.
The Obama administration wants a tribunal to prosecute major corruption crimes and a new anti-corruption commission, she said in an interview on ABC Television.
"There does have to be actions by the government of Afghanistan against those who have taken advantage of the money that has poured into Afghanistan in the last eight years so that we can better track it and we can have actions taken that demonstrate there's no impunity for those who are corrupt," Clinton said.
"We're going to expect more from the Afghan government going forward and we've got some very specific 'asks' that we will be making," she said in another interview on NBC.
Clinton is travelling in Asia with President Barack Obama, who attended the weekend Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Singapore.
Obama is expected to announce some U.S. troop increases in Afghanistan along with clearer limitations on U.S. goals for the war after he returns from Asia late this week.
The announcement is expected either just before or just after the American Thanksgiving holiday on Nov. 26.
With files from The Associated Press
