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Briefing En Route Kabul, Afghanistan

Briefing En Route Kabul, Afghanistan

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

En Route Kabul, Afghanistan

November 18, 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: How are you?

QUESTION: Good. How are you? Did you get some rest?

SECRETARY CLINTON: I got a little bit. How about you guys?

QUESTION: Yeah.

QUESTION: Not enough.

QUESTION: Could I start off?

STAFF: Yes.

QUESTION: I guess maybe I’ll ask a general question. What message are you going to bring to President Karzai, both over dinner tonight and in any other meetings? Is there anything specifically the President has asked you to relay to him?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, this is a specific opportunity for everyone to take stock of where we are and to determine how we’re going forward together. And I will be both talking and listening a lot to President Karzai and others with whom I’ll meet to make sure that they understand our concerns and we understand their concerns.

QUESTION: There’s been quite a bit – obviously, you’ve addressed some of this in the Sunday shows – of concern about the president really tackling corruption and being serious about it. Beyond the general admonition of “We hope you crack down on corruption,” is there anything specifically you’ll ask him to do in terms of benchmarks or things you really want to see in a measurable way?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we are asking that they follow through on much of what they have previously said, including putting together a credible anticorruption governmental entity – a mission, an agency, something that truly can deliver on the concerns that we and the people of Afghanistan have about corruption. They’ve done some work on that, but in our view, not nearly enough to demonstrate a seriousness of purpose to tackle corruption. And it is going to be one of the principled requests that we make. But it is reflective of what members of the government and others tell us they want to see happen as well.

QUESTION: But what if it doesn’t happen? Then what?

SECRETARY CLINTON: We are concerned about corruption and we obviously think it has an impact on the quality of

ENDS

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