Hillary Clinton Drops in On Karzai Inauguration for Stern Pep Talk

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unexpected visit to Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday for the inauguration of president Hamid Karzai, who recently won re-election in a contentious vote, the New York Times reports. The visit was meant to be a sign of U.S. support for Karzai's government, but Clinton said she planned to press the Afghan leader to take a stronger stance toward corruption in his ranks.

"We are asking that they follow through on much of what they previously said, including putting together a credible anti-corruption governmental entity," Clinton told reporters who had traveled with her from Bejing. "They've done some work on that, but in our view, not nearly enough to demonstrate a seriousness of purpose to tackle corruption ... We obviously think it has an impact on the quality and capacity of governance."

Clinton said that the inauguration provided a "window of opportunity" for Karzai to "make a new compact with the people of Afghanistan" and to create a more accountable government. She said the United States' relationship with Karzai was "not a one-sided negative story," and said she realized that it has been frustrating and costly for him to take on corruption among his own advisors.