US to pursue 'real concerns' about Afghan corruption: Clinton

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday the United States will pursue "real concerns" about allegations of corruption in the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

In the buildup to the unveiling Tuesday of its new strategy for Afghanistan, President Barack Obama's administration increased pressure on the Afghan government to end the corruption deemed to strengthen the Taliban insurgency.

"We have real concerns about the influence of corrupt officials in the Afghan government, and we will continue to pursue them," Clinton told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"But in his inauguration speech last month, I witnessed President Karzai call for a new compact with his country," she said, giving testimony to explain Obama's new strategy for Afghanistan.

"He (Karzai) pledged to combat corruption, improve governance, and deliver for the people of his country. His words were long in coming, but welcome. They must now be matched with action," the chief US diplomat told senators.

Clinton attended the inauguration of Karzai who took office last month after a fraud-marred election in August.

"The Afghan people, the United States, and the international community will hold the Afghan government accountable for making good on these commitments.

"We will help by working with our Afghan partners to strengthen institutions at every level of Afghan society so that we don?t leave chaos behind when our combat troops begin to depart," Clinton said.

"The president has outlined a timeframe for transition to Afghan responsibility. That transition will begin in the summer of 2011, when we expect Afghan security forces and the Afghan government will have the capacity to start assuming ownership for defending their country," she said.

In Tuesday's address to the American nation, Obama unveiled a 30,000-strong US troop increase but also said Kabul would be expected to hold corrupt officials accountable in return for American aid.

It would no longer be given a "blank check," the president said.

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