Fact Sheet
Bureau of South Asian Affairs
Washington, DC
June 15, 2004
The United States and Afghanistan - A Lasting PartnershipThe U.S. partnership with Afghanistan began in October 2001 with the end of the Taliban regime and Afghanistan’s support for terrorism. Since then, the United States has provided more than $4.2 billion for reconstruction with another $1.2 billion requested for fiscal year 2005. The U.S.-Afghanistan partnership continues to broaden and deepen as Afghanistan continues to progress toward constitutional democracy and economic self-sufficiency. The United States has made a long-term commitment to Afghanistan and President Bush has pledged that the United States and Afghanistan will work together toward the day that Afghanistan is fully secure and self- sufficient.
Economic Progress:
- Afghanistan's legal economy grew at a rate of almost 30 percent in 2002 and 25 percent in 2003 and is projected to grow 20 percent this year.
- Afghanistan implemented a stable currency in 2002, passed a strong investment law in 2003, and has adopted a national development strategy that limits spending and boosts revenues.
- Progress in 2004 includes major customs reform and improvements in collection, a broadening of the tax base and an increase in government fiscal accountability. Fiscal revenues exceeded targets in the last fiscal year.
- The 2002 Good Neighbor Agreement between Afghanistan and all its neighbors is working to boost trade and foster investment.
Foreign direct investment is rising, including a $40 million Hyatt Hotel project in Kabul, which broke ground on April 17, 2004.
Democracy and Governance:
- The Bonn Agreement provided a framework for political reconstruction in December 2001.
- The Emergency Loya Jirga inaugurated a representative government, with Hamid Karzai as President, in June 2002.
The Constitutional Loya Jirga in January 2004 approved Afghanistan's first constitution, establishing a foundation for constitutional democracy, civil liberties and rights for women and minorities. Women are allocated approximately one quarter of the seats in a two-chamber Parliament. President Karzai has called for Presidential and Parliamentary elections in September 2004. An election law was signed by President Karzai in May 2004 and formalized by the Cabinet. As of June 12, twenty-one political parties were registered to participate and nearly over 3.6 million Afghans had registered to vote -- more than one third of them are women.
Infrastructure:
- Phase I paving of the Kabul-Kandahar portion of the Ring Road was completed in December 2003, cutting travel time between the two cities from nearly 15 to only five hours. The United States reconstructed 242 miles of the highway and is building or repairing 36 bridges on that road; the government of Japan funded reconstruction of another 31 miles and the remaining 27 miles were intact. Construction of the Kandahar-Herat portion of the Ring Road is now underway.
- The United States is now reconstructing and paving 1,000 km of provincial roads, in addition to the 7,000 km of rural roads already repaired.
- The Salang Tunnel was repaired in 2003, reopening the link between the central and northern provinces.
- Geotechnical surveying has begun for the construction of a U.S.-funded bridge over the Pyandzh River, which will provide the first road link between Afghanistan and Tajikistan when it is completed in 2006.
- Power has been restored to Kandahar and major swathes of southern Afghanistan after the USG repaired one of the three turbines at the Kajaki Dam in 2003. The remaining two turbines are now being replaced.
Security:
- Initiatives to strengthen security in Afghanistan are advancing on four fronts: (1) building the Afghan National Army (ANA); (2) training and equipping the Afghan National Police (ANP); (3) demobilizing militias; and (4) strengthening the Afghan Government's counternarcotics capabilities.
- Approximately 9,700 ANA soldiers and over 18,000 police have been trained. Over 5,000 additional police are scheduled to graduate in coming weeks, bringing our expected total to over 23,000 by early July.
As of late May, the Central Corps of the ANA is comprised of 15 battalions, with a representative mix of ethnicities. The ANA has deployed outside of Kabul to stem factional fighting, including to Herat and Maimana, and have been welcomed warmly by the populace. The United States together with the United Nations and Japan is assisting the Afghan Government in demobilizing militias, with over 8,000 militia members demobilized to date. On the counternarcotics front, eradication began in April 2004 in several provinces, and was augmented with a central government-led program in early May 2004; the central government has developed a Central Eradication Planning Cell and started operations with the newly trained interdiction force.
Humanitarian Aid:
- Food aid provided by the United States and other donors helped avert famine in 2002.
- The United States and other donors have assisted in the repatriation of over 3.6 million refugees.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has built or renovated 205 schools - with 40 more under construction - trained 4,400 teachers, and provided over 25 million textbooks.
USAID has also completed 140 clinics, with 72 more under construction, and has completed an irrigation project serving 168,400 hectares. The United States has vaccinated 4.26 million children against measles and polio, preventing as many as 20,000 deaths. The United States is providing one-quarter of Kabul's water supply, and has rehabilitated the water systems of 700,000 people in Kandahar and Kunduz.
Empowerment of Women
- The United States rehabilitated the Ministry of Women's Affairs building, and constructed kindergartens in nine ministry buildings.
- Five provincial Women's Centers are nearing completion; 12 more are to be built.
A midwife-training program began in April 2004 will double the number of midwives in Afghanistan, a country that has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world. Women and girls, who were denied access to education under the Taliban now account for one third of the enrolled students in Afghanistan.
Provincial Reconstruction Teams
- Thirteen PRTs are currently operating in Afghanistan, 3 more are now being established by the Coalition, and NATO has set a goal of 5 additional PRTs in northern Afghanistan to reach a goal of 21 by the end of 2004.
- PRTs significantly contribute to improved security, greater central government control, and increased reconstruction activities in their areas of operation.
International Cooperation
- Over 40 countries participate in Operation Enduring Freedom and in the International Security Assistance Force. (ISAF)
- NATO has assumed command of ISAF and is looking to expand ISAF’s role in northern Afghanistan, a subject that will be taken up at the June 28-29 NATO Summit in Istanbul.
- Over 35 countries have contributed financial assistance to Afghanistan over the last 3 years.
- Germany has a lead role in rebuilding the police; the UK in the narcotics sector; and Japan in the program to disarm, demobilize and reintegrate Afghan militia forces.
- The U.N. has taken the leading role in assisting Afghanistan as it rebuilds its political framework, including the constitutional process and elections.
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