Defense chief says US will examine its own contracts in hopes of reducing Afghan corruption

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Pentagon: US to look at own role in Afghan graft

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — The United States will do its part to reduce corruption in Afghanistan by examining its own contracts and projects, even as it is demanding the same from the Afghan government, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.

He said the U.S. can exert the most leverage when it is signing the checks.

“The place for us to start is to deal with corruption that may be associated with contracts we’re letting or work that we’re having done and development projects that we are undertaking in partnership with others including with the Afghans,” Gates said.

Gates was speaking to reporters at the historic military fort carved into Halifax’s Citadel Hill, just prior to the start of the first Halifax International Security Forum, which is exploring a broad range of issues from Afghanistan and China to Arctic and port security.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has promised to do more to head off corruption that outside analysts say is rampant. But the newly re-elected leader has also chafed under international criticism of corruption in his government. He has pointed out that the flood of development cash into his country over the past eight years has promoted some of the graft.

Standing with Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay, Gates said the U.S. military is planning for the eventual withdrawal of Canadian and Dutch troops, set for 2011 and 2010 respectively.

“I think it is sustainable,” he said, adding that the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal “is planning appropriately.”

President Barack Obama is expected to announce an increase of thousands more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in the coming weeks. And U.S. leaders have stressed the need for other nations to up their commitments as well.

But NATO and some allies, including Germany, have said they will wait to make any decisions until after the U.S. has made its announcement. The U.S. has a record U.S. force of more than 68,000 in Afghanistan.

Asked about Obama’s goal to not pass the conflict on to the next president, Gates declined to be specific. He would only say he hopes that “in a reasonable amount of time” the U.S. and its allies could begin transferring security to the Afghans and withdrawing U.S. forces.

“The exact timing will depend clearly on substantial measure on conditions on the ground but I think everybody’s hope is that it will come sooner rather than later,” Gates said.