by Abdul Haleem

    KABUL, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The incumbent Hamid Karzai was sworn in as the president of the post-Taliban Afghanistan Thursday for the second term amid militancy escalation and stiff pressure to fight corruption.

    His administration's failure to check the alleged corruption during his first five-year has tarnished Afghanistan's image and sparked widespread criticism, prompting international community particularly Washington and London to warn of reviewing assistance if corruption is not curbed.

    U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whose government is the major backer of Afghan administration, asked President Karzai Wednesday before attending his oath taking ceremony to end corruption.

    "There is now a clear window of opportunity for President Karzai to make a new compact with the people of Afghanistan - based on accountability and tangible results - and to forge a stronger partnership with the international community," Clinton said at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul according to media reports.

    "We are not going to be providing any civilian aid to Afghanistan unless we have certification that if it goes into the Afghan government in any form, that we are going to have ministries that we can hold accountable," Clinton said in an interview with ABC television couple of days ago.

    In response to the concerns, Karzai vowed immediately after taking oath to fight corruption and bring lasting peace in the country.

    "The government of Afghanistan is committed to ending the culture of impunity and to bringing to justice those involved in corruption and abusing public property," he told an audience of hundreds of Afghan and international guests including Hillary Clinton attending the oath taking ceremony.

    The embattled president also called on Taliban militants to lay down arms and resume their normal life, an offer rejected by Taliban outfit in the past.

    "I am calling on all oppositions who have no link with the terrorist network to return home and resume their normal life," Karzai said, adding his administration would convene the traditional Loya Jirga or grand assembly to ensure permanent peace in the war-ravaged nation.

    Nevertheless, achieving the noble objectives in a country ruined by 30 years of war where institutions is not strong enough and many of government functionaries are accused of involvement in war crimes is a challenging task.

    Although the government in efforts to end corruption and bribery within the establishment announced formation of a new counter-corruption body Major Crimes Task Force (MCTF) early this week, overcoming the menace requires drastic steps.

    "Constituting commissions is not enough to eliminate corruption; rather it requires practical steps and severely punishing those involved in the malpractice," an ordinary Afghan Abdul Qayum told Xinhua.

    Referring to government's previous anti-corruption efforts, he also stressed that anti-corruption commissions in the past had failed to deliver.

    A non-governmental body - Transparency International, in a report released recently labeled Afghanistan the second most corrupt government after Somalia in the world.

    Earlier, U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and NATO Secretary General, Anders Gogh Rasmussen whose troops have been fighting in Afghanistan had also warned Karzai to fight corruption and improve governance.

    Bringing Taliban to negotiating table and folding them with the government is the toughest challenge for both Afghan government and the international community.

    The stubborn fighters have repeatedly refused to hold talks with Karzai government, saying it has no authority in the presence of foreign troops.

    Taliban elusive leader Mullah Mohammad Omar whose fighters have shifted activities from their traditional base in the south to the relatively peaceful northern Provinces, in his message recently vowed to intensify attacks.

    He furthermore conditioned holding any talks with the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan, a demand has been rejected by both Afghan and international community.

    More than 100,000 NATO-led troops with over 60,000 of them Americans have been stationed in Afghanistan to hunt down militants and ensure durable peace in the country.

    Meantime, President Obama in the face of insurgency escalation has been examining his field commanders' demand for deploying additional 40,000 troops to Afghanistan and would possible soon take final decision in this regard.

    In addition to corruption unemployment and poverty are the two factors that facilitate Taliban outfit to exploit the situation and recruit new fighters, many Afghans believe.

    More than 70 percent of Afghans see poverty and unemployment as the major cause of the conflict in their war-torn country, a report released recently by London-based aid agency OXFAM said.

    Taliban militants can easily recruit the jobless youth and use them as reinforcement in the war against Afghan government.

    "The new government would not deliver if the president keeps the old faces in new cabinet," a daily wager Afghan Mohammad Usman told Xinhua.

    Keeping in mind the harsh condition of Taliban for talks and government's inability to provide job opportunities for thousands of people in the near future, it seems difficult for the new administration to materialize the dreams of Afghans, that is a peace and prosperous society.