Afghans thank Bush
James Morrison
Embassy Row
01/23/2004
Afghan Ambassador Said T. Jawad praised
President Bush for his encouraging words in his State of the
Union speech and said Afghanistan is "proud" to be
a partner with the United States in the fight against terrorism.
"We appreciate President Bush's words of support for Afghanistan,"
said the ambassador, after attending the speech on Tuesday night.
"We cherish the close partnership and enduring friendship
forged between our two nations, which has yielded mutually beneficial
results."
In his speech, Mr. Bush said, "The men and women of Afghanistan
are building a nation that is free and proud and fighting terror."
After the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States,
Afghanistan became the battleground in the war on terrorism,
when U.S. forces liberated the country from the brutal Taliban
regime that had sheltered Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda terrorist
network.
Mr. Jawad said his nation is building a democratic society with
a new constitution that provides for equal rights and the full
participation of women in society.
"The ratification of our new constitution ... is the most
significant achievement in our common fight against terrorism,"
he said.
Mr. Jawad credited Afghan President Hamid Karzai with leading
the country toward democracy and noted that Afghanistan will
hold its first free national elections later this year.
"I welcome President Bush's commitment to help the Afghan
people finish the historic work of building democracy and his
plan to help further focus on the development of free elections,
free markets and free press," the ambassador said.
"Our successful experience in Afghanistan proves that free
press is a core value necessary for the success of political
democracy."
Mr. Jawad said his government shares Mr. Bush's belief that
"democracy is a realistic goal in all societies."
"Our new constitution proves that traditions and values
of the Afghan society are fully compatible ... with an open
democracy," he said.
