Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the NATO allies Wednesday his country will require security and other assistance from the international community for many years to come. On a visit to NATO headquarters, the Afghan leader thanked the allies for deploying thousands of troops to help make Afghanistan safe and secure, but stressed their job will be far from finished after elections, scheduled for Sept. 18. Afghanistan will require "sustained, rigorous assistance" in the years ahead, Karzai told a press conference after meeting with senior NATO officials. "For Afghanistan to be able to stand on its own feet ... international assistance will be needed for many, many years to come," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer stressed the alliance's commitment to expand its Afghan peacekeeping mission by sending troops to the west of the country.
