Corruption more dangerous than Taliban to Afghanistan’s future

The former commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance (ISAF), Gen. John Allen has said that the corruption is the worst threat to the future of Afghanistan than the Taliban-led insurgency.

While speaking to a subcommittee of the US Senate, Gen. Allen said, “For too long we focused our attention solely on the Taliban as the existential threat to Afghanistan. They are an annoyance compared to the scope and the magnitude of corruption.”

“While the Afghan National Army will battle your nation’s foes and, in that context, battle the Taliban, the battle for Afghanistan – the real fight – will be won by righteous law enforcement, a functioning judiciary and an unambiguous commitment to the rule of law,” Allen quoted by Associated Press said.

He said, “Wresting back the institutions of governance from corruption must be one of your highest priorities. … Corruption is the dry rot of democracy.”

Allen told US lawmakers that 13,600 U.S. troops and about 6,000 other international forces should stay in Afghanistan after the NATO combat mission ends by the end of this year.

He said the Afghan forces will need the help of coalition forces to improve their leadership skills and technical know-how, which will allow them to mitigate the threat from teh Taliban going forward.

Allen also called on next Afghanistan president to repair and improve relations with the United States and make Afghanistan business-friendly, reach out to Pakistan and protect the rights of women and civil society.

The relations between Kabul and Washington have been badly damaged after Afghan President Hamid Karzai refused to sign the bilateral security agreement between the two nations which will provide a legal framework for the presence of US forces in the country beyond 2014.