Obama's Decison On U.S. Troops Still 'Weeks Away'

STEVE INSKEEP, host:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai made a revealing statement as he claimed another term in office. Karzai said, yesterday, his goal is to remove, quote, ?the dark stain of corruption.? Of course, Karzai's own government has been accused of corruption and that's one reason U.S. officials had, for a time, entertained the thought that somebody else might become president.

STEVE INSKEEP, host:

That is not going to happen. Karzai's last opponent withdrew from a run-off election, saying it wouldn't be a fair vote. And yesterday, President Obama noted Karzai's victory by default. Yet, the American leader said Karzai would be measured by deeds, including his fight against corruption.

Here's NPR national political correspondent, Mara Liasson.

MARA LIASSON: Karzai was declared the winner of the Afghan election after his opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, dropped out of a planned run off. Abdullah said he didn't believe the run off would be any more legitimate than the first balloting, which was marred by widespread fraud, mostly on behalf of Karzai. Although, Karzai was always expected to win the run off, the White House was hoping that another round of voting would have given him an extra measure of legitimacy with the Afghan people. General Stanley McChrystal, the architect of the counterinsurgency strategy the president is now considering, has said that a legitimate and effective Afghan government is essential to the success of any military mission there.

So yesterday, when President Obama called Karzai to congratulate him on his win, he said he added this advice.

President BARACK OBAMA: I did emphasize to President Karzai, that the American people and the international community as a whole, want to continue to partner with him and his government in achieving prosperity and security in Afghanistan. But I emphasized that this has to be a point in time in which we begin to write a new chapter, based on improved governance, a much more serious effort to eradicate corruption, joint efforts to accelerate the training of Afghan security forces - so that the Afghan people can provide for their own security.

LIASSON: The administration would like Karzai to take some visible steps to improve governance in Afghanistan. Setting up an anti-corruption commission, for example, or arresting some of the most corrupt officials. The administration is also conducting a review of local Afghan leaders to determine which ones might be more reliable partners than Karzai. The president said Karzai told him he understood the importance of this moment.

Pres. OBAMA: But, as I indicated to him, the proof is not going to be in words, it's going to be in deeds; and we're looking forward to consulting closely with his government in the weeks and months to come, to assure that the Afghan people are actually seeing progress on the ground.

LIASSON: The White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, said the ability of the government in Kabul to deliver services and security to the Afghan people without corruption will play into the president's decision about increasing troop levels there. Last week, the president met with the joint chiefs of staff in the Situation Room at the White House, and Gibbs said he asked them to come back for another meeting.

Mr. ROBERT GIBBS (White House Press Secretary): There's nobody - again, there's nobody in the Situation Rooms, whether they have - whether they carry an ambassador's briefcase or a lock bag from the Pentagon - nobody would make the point that any strategy could be successful without successful governance of Afghanistan.

LIASSON: As for when the president is expected to make a final decision about committing tens of thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan, Gibbs repeated the official White House guidance that a decision is expected in the coming weeks. But the president is leaving next week for a lengthy trip to Asia, so it's possible a decision on Afghanistan may not come until closer to Thanksgiving.

Mara Liasson, NPR News, The White House. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.