0
WASHINGTON: The United States wants Afghanistan's neighbors to pledge to respect its sovereignty at regional talks this week, a US official said on Monday, even as Washington accuses Pakistan and Iran of meddling.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will attend a conference in Istanbul on Wednesday that the United States hopes will bring Afghanistan's neighbors more directly into efforts to stabilize the country as US troops withdraw.
A senior US official said he hoped the countries gathered would commit to respect Afghan sovereignty; back a transition to Afghan security leadership; support Afghan efforts to achieve a political solution and promote economic growth.
“We are urging all of Afghanistan's neighbors to commit to a set of principles ... that underscore full respect for Afghan sovereignty and territory,” said the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
What is unclear, however, is whether any words put on paper at the Conference on Security and Cooperation in the Heart of Asia held in Istanbul will lead to actions on the ground, notably by Pakistan and Iran.
US officials accuse Iran of providing lethal aid, including weapons and training, to insurgents fighting US troops in Afghanistan.
The United States has blamed the Haqqani network, which some U.S. officials suspect of being supported by Pakistani intelligence, for a series of recent attacks in Afghanistan, including a Sept. 13 assault on the US Embassy in Kabul.
