Afghan president vows to work toward self-reliance, says his nation won't be 'lazy Uncle Joe'
Source: strib
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday thanked Congress for the billions of American taxpayer dollars, but vowed his country will be self-reliant within this decade. "We're not going to be the lazy uncle Joe," he said.
In a speech to a joint meeting of Congress, Ghani tried to repair U.S.-Afghan relations that had become strained under former President Hamid Karzai.
Ghani, wearing a gray western suit, peppered his speech with anecdotes about the time he's spent in America and touched on themes he hoped would convince lawmakers that he will be a reliable U.S. partner.
He offered examples of how Afghanistan has made gains in health and education and voiced support for the youth and rights of women, including those who want to be president of the country. He admitted that decades of war have resulted in high levels of fraud and graft in Afghanistan.
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/297488131.html
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