Military

DATE= 7/16/2004

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE= AFGHANISTAN / US / ARMITAGE (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-317540

BYLINE= MICHAEL KITCHEN

DATELINE=ISLAMABAD

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

HEADLINE= US Says Election Will Not Change Its Afghan Policy

INTRO: Senior U.S. diplomat Richard Armitage says Washington's policy in

Afghanistan will remain unchanged, regardless of who wins the U.S.

presidential election in November. VOA's Michael Kitchen reports from

Islamabad on Mr. Armitage's visit to the Afghan capital, Kabul, as Afghanistan

prepares for its own election.

TEXT: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Armitage said Friday that both American

political parties agree with the United States' current economic and

military support for Afghanistan.

/// ARMITAGE ACT ///

"Regarding our election season, Afghanistan is not an issue. The people of

the United States are going to stand with the people of Afghanistan to the

successful conclusion of this endeavor."

/// END ACT ///

The United States is a major aid donor to Afghanistan. It also has

approximately 17-thousand of its troops deployed in the country to help

provide security as Afghanistan recovers from over two decades of war.

Afghans are currently preparing for a presidential election on October 9th

and a parliamentary election next spring.

But anti-government militants, led by remnants of the former Taleban regime,

oppose the election process, which they see as a scheme to ensure U.S.

domination over the nation.

The United States joined forces with Afghan dissident fighters in 2001 to

oust the Taleban from power, after Taleban leaders refused to surrender accused terrorist Osama bin Laden, blamed for attacks on New York and Washington.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Armitage met with Afghan election workers, offering

praise for the country's efforts to include women in the coming election.

/// 2nd ARMITAGE ACT ///

"Already over seven million Afghan citizens have been registered to vote

and 40 percent of those registered to vote are women. This is a phenomenal

achievement, and it's not over."

/// END ACT ///

The previous Taleban government received strong international criticism

while in power for severely limiting the civil rights of women. (SIGNED)

NEB/MK/FC/KL