Editorial: U.S. must stand by Afghan government

Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 | 9:16 a.m.

Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, has an almost impossible task in bringing law and order -- let alone a functioning democracy -- to his war-torn nation. But Karzai's job got even more difficult Tuesday. Not only was there a terrorist bombing in Kabul that killed at least 26 people, but there also was an attempt on his life. Karzai wasn't hurt -- the U.S. Special Forces soldiers who are his bodyguards fended off the assassination attempt -- but Tuesday's events show just how far that nation has to go before it returns to normal after years of Taliban rule.

After Tuesday's attack, it's reassuring to hear President Bush say that the United States doesn't have plans to leave Afghanistan soon. It would be a mistake, even as the United States prepares for war in Iraq, to shortchange our mission in Afghanistan. It also is important to bring stability to Afghanistan's neighbor, Pakistan, which also may be where Osama bin Laden is hiding -- if he's still alive. Bush doesn't like to use the term "nation-building," but the reality is that we have to make sure that countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan respect the rule of law and at least are on the path to democracy. That means more than a military commitment; it also means more foreign aid to rebuild countries. Otherwise, the two countries that have been a breeding ground for terrorists could very well end up again posing the same threat as they did a year ago o n Sept. 11.