Kabul announces new anti-corruption squad

The Kabul government has launched a new anti-corruption unit to crackdown on high-level graft amid Washington’s extensive criticisms and new demands.
“President Hamid Karzai … has dedicated his five years to fighting corruption,” said Afghan Interior Minister Hanif Atmar at a news briefing in Kabul on Monday.
“For the next five years, the priority of Karzai is to fight corruption,” he added.
The new anti-corruption unit is tasked with the prosecution of public corruption cases that involve high ranking officials and other major crimes, the Interior Ministry noted.

Justice Minister Mohammad Sarwar Danish also said, “Corruption is the cancer that is destroying the lives of the people.”

The EU police mission in Afghanistan as well as specialists from Britain and the US are scheduled to train Afghan prosecutors in the new anti-graft measures.

The announcement comes a day after the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned the Afghan President that Washington wanted to see concrete evidence of Kabul’s fight against corruption.

This is the third formal launch of a unit promising to fight corruption and bribery. However, Afghan government officials told reporters that the newest attempt has a better chance of progressing because of a real desire to succeed and strong international backing.