Republicans in the U.S. Congress say the Afghanistan government needs to match the U.S. security commitment to the country if the region is ever to become stable.
In the weekly Republican address Saturday, Representative Mike Castle of Delaware says he just returned form Afghanistan with a congressional delegation that met with President Hamid Karzai.
Castle says the delegation told Mr. Karzai that the Afghan government must step up its commitment to improving security in the region equal to that of the U.S.
The Obama administration recently announced a plan to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan in an effort to reverse worsening conditions in the conflict.
Castle says Afghan troops need significantly more training. He also says population centers in the region must be secured and the governments of both Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan must be strengthened before the region can become stable.
Castle said the delegation did see evidence of progress being made toward establishing "a country that can govern itself, defend its borders and be an important ally in fighting terrorism."
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
