Afghanistan welcomes Obama win, wants more focus

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Source: Reuters

Afghans welcomed Barack Obama's U.S. election victory on Wednesday, saying they looked forward to a greater focus on the war in their country, which has killed at least 4,000 people this year alone.

The failure of President George W. Bush's administration to send enough troops to Afghanistan after toppling the Taliban for sheltering al Qaeda leaders behind the Sept. 11 attacks allowed the militants to regroup to the point they now threaten the Afghan capital, analysts say.

"Barack Obama should focus on three things; how the terrorists are trained and nourished, the development of major projects in Afghanstan such as irrigation, power and transport ... and help our government ... so that Afghans take leadership of the fight against corruption and drugs," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Sultan Ahmad Baheen.

During his election campaign, Obama was critical of President Hamid Karzai over his failure to tackle widespread corruption, the booming trade in illegal opium and over the effectiveness of his government -- all factors that fuel the insurgency.

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