Karzai to take oath, future of Afghan war at stake

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai is to be sworn into office for a second full term on Thursday as he struggles to rebuild a tarnished reputation and convince the West he is still a credible partner after eight years of war.

Newly reelected Afghan President Hamid Karzai (L) shakes hands with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari during a meeting at the Presidential palace in Kabul. [Agencies]

His inauguration comes against the backdrop of a rising Taliban insurgency, doubts over Karzai's legitimacy after an election tainted by fraud and complaints his government is riddled with corruption.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in her first visit to Afghanistan as the top US diplomat, and her British, French and Turkish counterparts are among 300 foreign dignitaries to attend the ceremony at the presidential palace in Kabul.

"There is now a clear window of opportunity for President Karzai and his government to make a new compact with the people of Afghanistan, to demonstrate clearly that you're going to have accountability and tangible results that will improve the lives of the people," Clinton said in the Afghan capital on Wednesday.

US President Barack Obama will announce soon whether he will send up to 40,000 more troops to fight an increasingly unpopular war. He said on Wednesday he aims to bring the conflict to an end before he leaves office.

"My preference would be not to hand off anything to the next president. One of the things I'd like is the next president to be able to come in and say 'I've got a clean slate'," he told CNN.

General Stanley McChrystal, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, wants tens of thousands of additional troops, warning that without them, the war will probably be lost.