Visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair offered to help Afghanistan rebuild itself after years of war, as US warplanes and ground troops stepped up the hunt for Taliban and al Qaeda forces.
Blair, who flew in from Pakistan Monday on the last leg of his South Asian tour, said his visit underscored the international community's commitment to Afghanistan as it undertakes a massive rebuilding task.
"I know they have suffered a very great deal over the past 20 years," the British leader said. "I know that military conflict is always difficult, but we do desire to be the partners of people here, in helping rebuild the country."
Blair's visit was historic as he is the first Western head of government to visit Afghanistan since the Soviet invasion in 1979 and the first British prime minister to visit the country, according to members of his delegation.
Afghanistan's interim leader, Hamid Karzai, thanked Blair for his visit "at such a difficult time for us" and welcomed the support of the British government.
Reconstruction was a top item on the agenda of a meeting on Monday of the new Afghan interim government, which decided to convene a committee headed by Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah to coordinate international efforts to rebuild the war-shattered country.
Bureau Report
