$800 million aid package on the table. all of that is going to have to go through congress. there are many members of congress who disagree vehemently with the president's withdrawal plan. think that u.s. troops should stay in the country much longer. they view the 2017 drop dead date as an arbitrary one whether the afghan forces are ready to standing up for their own defense or not. we do anticipate that congress will be receptive to ashraf ghani not only for the reasons we outlined but also because he has vowed to take the fight to the taliban, and the other elements within afghanistan that would seek to topple that government in kabul, dell. >> as we see them getting ready for the entrance of the afghan president, the fact that the vice president of the united states is on the podium as well as the speaker of the house, heralds a different

reception than what we saw for the prime minister of israel a month ago. >> well notably, joe biden assumes that ceremony position in joint sessions of congress such as the state of the union, a familiar scene behind the speaker -- or the individual who is addressing the chamber, in this case of course ashraf ghani. a scene we did not see three weeks ago when benjamin netenyahu was here to make his speech to the congress against the iranian nuclear deal. >> also joining us this morning is a senior national security fellow at the new american foundation. thanks for being with us. the president saying more than 9,000 u.s. troops are going to stay in afghanistan through 2017. should we brace ourselves for a

troop presence like we see in japan or korea in >> well right now we're only talking about this for the next year. it's very unclear what that means for troop levels in 2017. but clearly, i think events both in afghanistan and in iraq where the troop levels are often rightly or wrongly compared has set the stage and made it very easy for the commander in kabul, general john come bell to ask for this troop level to be maintained at least another year. >> also another reason for maintaining the troop levels according to the "new york times" is the troop presence is needed for drone activities at cases. >> that's right. these two bases, which are very very close to the eastern border of afghanistan and there for to

pakistan and the feeling was if there weren't enough troops to secure them and keep these intelligence assets safe those bases would be closed. >> also the president yesterday, saying that afghanistan remains a dangerous place. are we seeing lessons learned from the experience with isil in syria and iraq to be completely out of afghanistan by the end of 2015. >> whether you think the two situations with comparable or not, clearly they have become conflated in people's minds. we think of iraq and afghanistan kind of in concert anyway. so the fact that there are many issues with isil in iraq certainly makes this administration a little more cautious about how badly things might go in afghanistan. >> douglas, please stand by

because we're going to go to afghanistan now, where they are watching this speech closely as well, that's where we're joined by jennifer glasse our afghan reporter there in kabul. jennifer what is the sense in afghanistan about what they want to hear from the afghan president? >> reporter: afghans, del, really would like to see ashraf ghani move forward politically with his presidency. he was inaugurated six months ago, and he doesn't even have a cabinet. so many afghans are very frustrated with the slow pace of change here. so while i think some have been encouraged by the fact that the u.s. troop withdraw is slowing down, just as ghani is getting ready to speak to the joint sessions of congress just this morning there was a car bomb here in kabul. and the afghans want to see an

end to this kind of violence and uncertainty. the economy is in terrible shape, and they want to see things get better across the board and they have high hopes when ghani was inaugurated last year with his unity government. there isn't that kind of government ever before here in afghanistan, but his inauguration last year marked the first time in afghanistan's 5,000 year history that there has been a peaceful transfer of power. afghans are hoping that all of the promises he is making will come true. >> genmer american viewers are seeing the afghan president now entering the chambers and being greeted by both sides of the aisle. is there a sense, though because you have been on the ground in afghanistan for so long that things are getting better, and i'll ask you to answer that question in about 20 seconds or less. >> many things get better and some things get worse.

there have been amazing changes here. children in school. electricity across the country. but the roads are in terrible shape, and afghanistan has a very, very long way to go del. >> mike viqueira as you watch the president make his way into the chambers and how he is being greeted, weigh for us if you would how much has changed with regard to the situation in afghanistan and what we now know to be true. >> well the president said it was a dangerous place, but we talked about this yesterday. the president walked right into that one. there is a lot of criticism, notably from some frequent critics on the president's foreign policy, that the president has set this arbitrary date. what they regard as an arbitrary date. regardless of whether afghanistan is ready to stand on its own two feet the president

has set this deadline and they raised this specter that has been raised time and time again, will afghanistan turn into another iraq a falling apart, sectarian struggles. struggles against in this case the taliban. and we heard president ghani mention in an interview, that isil now has a presence in his country. that has been disputed somewhat but nevertheless some doubt in congress as to whether the president's a wise path. del. >> the president of afghanistan now addressing a joint meeting of congress. he was just introduced by house speaker john boehner. [ applause ] >> in the name of god, the mers sisful, the passionate speaker boehner, vice president biden,

senate majority leader mcconnell, house majority leader house leader senate leader ladies and gentlemen of the congress please allow me to thank you for your gracious invitation to address this unique forum of deliberative democracy. above all else i would like to begin by thanking the people of the united states whose generous support for my country has been of such immense value in advancing the cause of freedom. [ applause ] more than one million brave americans have served in

afghanistan. they have come to know our snow capped mountains, our valleys, our wind swept deserts, our parched fields our unharnessed flowing rivers and our plains of waving wheat, but more important than knowing our geography, they have come to defend and know our people and in return the people of afghanistan recognize the bravery of your soldiers and the tremendous sacrifices that americans have made to keep afghanistan free. [ applause ] >> we owe a profound debt to the

2,315 service men and women killed in the more than 20,000 who have been wounded in service to your country and ours. [ applause ] >> we owe a profound debt to the soldiers who have lost limbs to buried bombs, to the brave veterans, and to the families who tragically lost their loved ones to the enemy's cowardly acts of terror. we owe a profound debt to the many americans who have come to build schools, repair wells, and cure the sick and we must acknowledge with appreciation that at the end of the day, it's

the ordinary americans who's hard-earned taxes have over the years built the partnership that has lead to our conversation today. i want to -- [ applause ] >> i want to thank the american taxpayer and you, their representatives for supporting this. [ applause ] >> the service of american men and women, civilian or military in our country has been made possible by the bipartisan support of the congress of the united states. on behalf of our parliament and people i salute and thank you. it has always been a pleasure to receive and attract with congressmen and women during your visits to afghanistan. please do come again and again.

and if you are of service, please come in your proud uniforms. [ applause ] >> i had a unique opportunity that when central [ inaudible ] was dressed as a colonel, i asked him to salute a british general, and he complied. [ laughter ] >> so thank you. veterans will always be welcome in afghanistan. our deepest hope is that the time will come when americans visiting our country see the cultural heritage and natural riches of the valley the ancient architecture, the fishing streams, the forests, and the ancient architecture in [ inaudible ]. not as soldiers, but as parents

showing their children the beautiful country where they served in the war that defeated terror. [ applause ] >> on behalf of my entire country, when that day comes, you will be our most welcomed and honored guests. america's support to afghanistan has been led by a succession of markable generals. i am proud to have known and worked with dan mcneil, david mcconcernen stanley mccrystal david petraeus, john allen, and joseph campbell. these generals lived in simple quarters. they worked tirelessly through the night, and their leadership

of their troops have set an example that our generals are working hard to follow. your civilian leaders are no less inspirational, ambassadors, give american diplomacy first class leadership and strategic under under -- understanding, and i would be remiss not to mention the stimulating conversations with my friends from this chamber, like john mccain, lindsay graham carl levin, and many of you visitors. but i must also acknowledge the deeply appreciated contribution of the aid workers who are the day-to-day representatives of your country. i have met people from all 50 states of the union. from senators to representatives to construction workers and computer operators.

i want to thank all of them for introducing the best of america to the people of afghanistan. [ applause ] >> and finally, i would like to thank president obama. he is an admirable and principled partner. his support for afghanistan has always been conditional on our performance. i like and appreciate his clear and disciplined approach to american engagement. thanks to a strict rigor, we were encouraged and supported to build up our armed forces into the self reliant army that it is today. [ applause ] >> because he stood firm on the deadline for the search and the transition the u.s. army pulled off a logistical near miracle.

first deploying and then withdrawing more than 100,000 soldier without a hitch in time to deadline. and it is thanks to his promise to america to end the active combat that we saw a seamless hand over of responsibility of all combat operations from your side to ours on december 31st, 2014. [ applause ] >> u.s. soldiers are no longer engaged in combat. [ applause ] >> but we are delighted to have them in the train, assess and advise mission. tragedy brought our two countries together. but it's our shared interests and values that will keep us together.

september 11, 2001 was not a distant image that i watched on the emotionalless screen of television. it was horrific and it was personal. i was in my office at the world bank when the first plane smashed into the world trade center and forever changed the lives of each and every one of us. new york is a special place for me and my family. my wife and i are both graduates of columbia university. i was another beneficiary of america's wonderful generosity that has built so many long-standing friendships to its unparalleled universities. i ate corned beef at new york's greatest pickle line melting pot. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> close friends were working near the trade center.

my children were born in new york and my daughter was living in new york when the twin towers fell. i visited ground zero that very week seeing firsthand the tragedy and devastation drove home the realization that after 9/11, the world would never be the name. i went home knowing that america would seek justice, and i began to write the plan for our national reconstruction. indeed justice came swiftly. al-qaeda terrorists were killed or driven underground. the taliban acknowledging their losses, and quickly vacated the cities with their leadership moving to pakistan and their rank and file returning to their villages. there was considerable anxiety about how the afghan people would respond to the american presence. the issue was put to rest by the welcome accorded to the american

solders and civilians as partners. even today despite the thankfully rare if no less tragic green on blue incidence by taliban infiltrators the overwhelming majority of gansz continued to see the partnership as foundational to our future. there's no better proof of this than last october's overwhelming and immediate parliamentary approval of the bilateral security agreement and the status of forces agreement, both of which testified to our desire to continue the partnership. afghanistan has been the front line of the global battle against extremists. america as a result has been safe, but that safety has been ensured through the loss of american and afghan lives in the fight against terror. we have made great sacrifices.

but then it's our patriotic duty to do so. you on the other hand had a choice and when it came to a fork in the road chose to do the right thing. thank you. [ applause ] >> most recently -- due to the bilateral security agreement, we have lost momentum. and for both partners to operate in uncertainty. you could have used in opportunity to end the partnership and return home in frustration, but you did not. thanks to the flexibility shown by president obama and congress

we have made up for the loss and we have gained momentum without breaking by even a day, the promise of president obama to the american people that the u.s. combat role would end on december 31, 2014. thank you for staying. [ applause ] >> i would like to talk a little about our partnership because it's evolving. we're starting to balance the focus on security with a new emphasis on rule of law and justice. growth in the pursuit of peace and reconciliation. the framework for our future relationship is defined by our strategic partnership agreement, and the bilateral security agreement. on your side you have reaffirmed your commitment to support afghanistan. on our side we will focus on

self reliance. to get there, we have initiated reforms that will create a self sustaining afghanistan. i know american people are asking the same question as the afghan people. will we have the resources to provide a sustained basis for our operations? and the answer is within this decade, we will. [ applause ] >> as the current phase of our relationship draws to a close, our appreciation for the depth of american contribution to our people cannot be measured in words alone. but can be seen quite literally in the number of afghan who's futures have been changed thanks to america and itself allies.

on september 15th, 2001, there were no girls enrolled in school in afghanistan. it was illegal to educate girls today more than 3 million girls across the country are learning to openly and actively participate in the future of a democratic afghanistan. [ applause ] >> their parents thank you. [ laughter ]

>> in 2002, when the allies built their first clinics, the average life span of the ordinary afghan was 44 years. today it's over 60. their children thank you. [ applause ] >> today the rate of maternal mortality in our poor country remains unacceptably high but thanks to the immense effort you have made to build clinics and train nurses an afghan woman no longer -- is no longer more likely to die because she gives birth to a child than if she had been somewhat fought on the

front line of combat. their husbands and their children thank you. [ applause ] >> our partnership with america and its allies have brought our country hope where we had none. we would once again like to thank you for that wonderful gift from your people to ours the gift of hope. [ applause ] >> but in afghanistan there is a saying that no gift can remain unreciprocated. today i would like to return that gift of reborn hope by offering the american people a partnership with a nation that

is committed to the cause of freedom and that will join the fight against the growing threat of terrorism. [ applause ] >> i will use my remarks today to tell america the history of how the future of afghanistan came to be. it is a story about how a poor country that relied on foreign help became a self reliant nation where free trade and the rule of law let afghan business create jobs and prosperity for its people. it is also a story about how a country that had been ravaged by conflict became a platform for peace and regional stability and prosperity. ladies and gentlemen, the story about afghanistan's path to self reliance has already started. it began with last year's

election and the formation of our national unity government. afghanistan's external image is of a traditional country that has been frozen in time that my partner and ceo of afghanistan dr. abdullah abdullah in iran intense and passionate complains, such is the need to end corruption taking the actions that would build transparency into government. and guaranteeing support for the impartialed rule of law. campaigns became forums for public debate. more than 7 million afghans turned out to the polls, but 38% of the were cast by women, many of whom never had the chance previously to speak politically with their own voice. [ applause ]

>> there's no denying that the election was hard fought but in the end we chose the politics of unity over the politics of division. the national unity government brings together all parts of the country to make the government the arena where disputes arise and result. dr. abdullah and myself may not initially agree on every issue, but we both believe deeply that spirited debate will produce better outcomes than will confrontational stalemate. we not only work together. we like working well together. [ applause ]

>> afghanistan contrary to what perception is well suited to democracy. afghans are individualists none of us defers to anyone else. we have neither have cast nor class. so persuading each other is an art form. [ laughter ] >> our key characteristics are our openness and hospitality. we believe in equality, even in the most traditional parts of the country, our leadership must earn rather than inherit their position. there is a strong public conscience. people are expected to act for the common good. we love debate. ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce you to afghanistan. we're an old country with a

proud heritage and a history of trade with our neighbors. we have had bills of exchange for at least 2,000 years, and our women could write 2.5 thousand years ago. for at least three millennia, we have been a [ inaudible ] for the caravans and trade networks that spread across asia bringing silk and textiles to roam. the 19th century disrupted this role as it did in so many other places. afghanistan became caught between expanding empireings. the emergence of the soviet union further isolated our country. today, however, the isolation is over. first, awareness is growing that afghanistan is quite literally the heart of asia. asia cannot become a continental

economy without us. asian in the next 25 years will have its 1869 moment the year that the east and west coast of the united states were joined through the transcontinental railway, but this completion of a new connected asia cannot happen without us. we are in the midst of 3.5 billion people and we should be able to export something and not just import. [ laughter ] >> our fragmented geography can once again become the opportunity for integrating, central, west east and south asia into a network that supports stability and prosperity over a vast [ inaudible ]. dim mattic efforts to advance integration can free up trade and support multi-investments.

the first major project between central and south asia for transmitting energy to india to pakistan is already underway. and i truly believe that diplomatic efforts backed by the leaders of our countries will build the peace and prosperity for south and central asia in the same way that the common market has done so for europe, and [ inaudible ] has done for our neighboring region to the east. our envision of afghanistan is that within 20 years has become a sub of pipelines, railways modern banking services support for all of this is essential, and we thank you for that commitment. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, if one

story of our future history is bright there is another darker cloud that is making its way towards our country. afghanistan security transition took place against the backdrop of the unexpected rise of religious extremism in the middle east. the promise of the arab spring gave way to the emergence of daesh terror and collapse of states. but the changed' ecology of terror could have not formed without some states financing, providing sanctuary, and using violent non-state actors as instruments of short-sited policies. it's a critical the world understand the terrible threat that the daesh and its allied forces pose to the states of western and central asia. terrorist movements who's goal is to destabilize every state in

the region are look for new bases of operation. we are the front line. but terrorists neither recognize boundaries, nor require pass ports to spread their message of hate and discord. daesh is sending [ inaudible ] to western afghanistan. to the south pakistan's counter insurgency operations in which more than 40,000 people have already died are pushing the taliban towards afghanistan's border. criminalization of the economy is an indispensable part of this control of terror. control over the narcotic's trade is providing the financing for these groups to find weapons. blurring the lines between criminal economics and criminal politics. each of these groups poses a clear and present danger to our neighbors, and the world at

large. afghanistan is carrying forward everyone's fight by containing this threat. but extremism is becoming a system, one that like a dangerous virus is constantly mutating becomes more lethal well financed and thriving on state weakness and an overall lack of regional coordination. to date afghanistan's people have rejected the allure of violence violent movements. we are willing to speak truth to terror. [ applause ] >> military fighting will not put an end to the anger and

hatred being promulgated by these groups. that hatred must be challenged and overcome from within the religion of islam. [ applause ] >> the heart of the issue remains, who is entitled to speak for islam? leaders? intellectuals in those many millions of muslims who believe that islam is a religion of tolerance and virtue must find their voice. silence is not acceptable. [ applause ] >> but silence is what not -- is not what the world will hear

from us. afghanistan is joining and a new consensus is emerging a consensus that rejects intolerance, extremism, and war. [ inaudible ] long tradition of rationalism and scientific inquiry. during islam's golden age, muslim scholars recorded all known knowledge of the medieval world, giving the world advances inial in alga bra, printing and positive signs. this is the islamic civilization that needs to reinvent itself. [ applause ] >> the islamic world must understand it's own gloriously tolerant and inquisitive past. it must reengage with the world

openly and without paranoia or encirclement. [ applause ] >> we the unity government of afghanistan know that islam is a religion of peace. we're responding to extremist threat by building partnership in the global regional islamic and national levels of governments. globally afghanistan abides by international convention and the rule of law. we're stanch supporters of the declaration of human rights. [ inaudible ] the state to achieve these rights for our citizens. we're committed to support our independent human rights commission. and i am pleased that dr. [ inaudible ], a tireless champion of human rights is a member of this delegation and is today sitting in the this great chamber. [ applause ]

>> and our government will join the free today system and harmon nice investment rules. regionally we are engaging our neighbors across asia to build trust and trade. afghanistan will become a platform for innovation. we have already made significant headway in making the vision of the corridor that will link us to georgia, and turkey and

thank you for wearing [ inaudible ]. [ applause ] >> the islamic world from saudi arabia and the united arab emirates is keenly a aware of the new threats, and we hope they will agree on a framework of cooperation. the recent del la ration may well be an historic turning point in building that alliance condemnation of terror by this largest gathering of islam [ inaudible ] is an unpredented step. properly supported, afghanistan is uniquely positioned to block the spread of extremism. we have none of the historical inferiority complexes that fuels

the hatred of western nations. after all we defeated most of the empires. [ laughter ] >> with the exception of the taliban regime afghan islam has traditionally been inclusive and reflective. not violent and angry, and after 36 years of conflict our people are well vaccinated against the seduction of ideologically-based conflicts. our people our children desperately want to be normal. ordinary is what has escaped us and we would really like to be leading ordinary lives. to go to school and come back. to shop without being blown up. to play volleyball without being attacked. so many children have i held in my arms who have been mutilated,

that must not be permitted and cannot be permitted, and will not be permitted. [ applause ] >> for afghanistan to oppose the violence of extremists we must turn our sites to the struggle to end the condition that gave rise to extremism in the first place. our effort begins with a frank recognition of our problems and the challenges that we mustache l with determination and commitment. nearly 40 years of conflict has produced a country where

corruption permeates our government. until we root out this cancer our government will never generate the trust to win the hearts of our people or the trust of your taxpayers. we will eliminate corruption. [ applause ] >> on our second day in office we tackled the notorious case of kabul bank which for years had laid in abeyance. i'm pleased to report to you all of the court system of afghanistan including the supreme court has now made a decision against these thieves and has allowed us to collect from them and we will collect and give the public purse

refilled. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, ending corruption and impunity are the precursors of self reliance, but the true test will be whether we can restore the fiscal basis of public expenditure. we must create the environment where private investments, sustainable natural resources, and critical market linking infrastructure development provide our youth with jobs help us balance the budget and launch the virtual cycle that will let free markets build our nation's wealth. here i am pleased to report that we are reversing decades of mismanagement. we have just reached an agreement with imf, but we are determined to create the wealth that would not make us dependent. during this decade we can assure you that we will be able to pay both for our security and

delivery of our services. [ applause ] >> if economic growth is the first foundation block of self reliance, the second foundation is with the education of afghanistan's women. no country in the modern world can be self reliant with half of its population locked away. uneducated and unable to contribute to its energy creativity and drive to national development. we have a tradition of respecting women and let us not forget, the largest trader in arabia was the wife of the profit. in the greater transmitter of knowledge, the authentic saying of the profit was his second wife. customs do not replace the fundamental sense of justice

between men and women that societies that seek fairness are built upon. afghan culture traditionally had space for women as leaders, managers and traders. the gender apartheid imposed by the taliban came up from people who grew up in refugee camps and villages boarding schools. our plan of restoring women's place in society is built on three pillars that rests on the foundation of the religious and constitutional rights of all of our citizens. first educating women is not solely a matter of rights important though they are. it's a matter of national necessity. [ applause ] >> i said in the past that

educating one of our young girls will change the next five generations of her family. i would not be standing before you today as an educated man had by grandmother in exile in india not taken it upon herself to make sure i would match think passion for hunting and riding horses with mastering the classics and striving to excel in foreign languages. thank you grandmother. [ applause ] >> afghanistan's self reliance demands men and women who can run a modern economy. basic health and education, must reach all of our girls. that's a promise, but beyond providing all afghan girls with these basic rights, we will increase the number of women graduating from high schools and

colleges. even as i [ inaudible ] today in kabul the signs are already being finished for an all-women's university that will provide safe top-quality education for the next generation of afghan women leaders. let me tell you the story of [ inaudible ], a young woman who kandahar who's schooling began when she braved threats of disfigurement by people swearing they would throw acid in her face before they would let her at tend school. her uncle threatened to disown her when she applied to university, but she stared him down. she went to american university of afghanistan where she not only topped her class, but aided by a full ride scholarship went on to get a master's degree from ohio state university. today her formerly angry uncle

is to proud of her, that he taughts that all his grandchildren must be as brave as their own hotra. [ applause ] >> hotra, like thousands of afghan women, thanks america for those opportunities, for the primary school teachers for the university in kabul, for the scholarship to ohio that changed her life and her children's future, and she has dedicated to create opportunities for millions of other afghans. [ applause ] >> the second pillar is that woman must have the same access to economic opportunities as men. women's full empowerment will come about not through global conventions or government

programs but when they own jobs and own businesses. the united states has been a steadfast supporter of the nationwide national solidarity program, which for ten years has given not thousands, but millions of poor village women their first chance to control their own resources. [ applause ] >> our third and final foundational belief is that a mental and cultural revolution must take place over treatment of women in and by our society. there's no point talking about how much we respect women's honor if we let rape go unpunished or allow harassment in our streets. [ applause ]

>> we have signed the global conventions to end violence and discrimination against women. we will implement them vigorously, but work is still needed to convince our people that the protection of women's rights is part and parcel of their own quest for social justice. i personally as the leader of afghanistan are committed to working with the top leaders of our country to bring about this mental change. both dr. abdullah and i will insist the officials of our government set the national standards for workplace fairness. [ applause ] >> thanks to your help and support, the opportunities for women are indeed changing. i am sure that many of you have

seen those stunning videos of fathers proudly taking their shiny eyed daughters to show off their newfound skills in the ancient art of skateboarding. [ laughter ] >> they are but the tip of the changes that are underway and which must be protected in advance. i am meeting frequently women who are entertaining the idea -- seriously the idea of becoming the first woman president of afghanistan, and we will support it. [ applause ] >> i am pleased to state that we have fulfilled our promise to name four women to the afghan cabinet, raising the women's share to 20%. still too low, but at least

fulfillment of our promise. we're determined to name qualified women as ambassadors and to increase their number as deputy ministers. and we are working hard to attract and train a whole new kadri of women into our government. i promise five years from now, our ministries will have a whole new look to them, with women in leading positions. [ applause ] >> we are a country of young people. the absolutely majority of people are under 30 years of age. youth are invested in the future, not in repeating the past. jobs and engagement with the world are their first priority. despite all of the assistance that afghanistan has received over the years, 30% of the population still lives below the poverty line. lacking even basic services such

as clean water or household electricity. this cannot continue. we have articulated a citizen charter that will guide the investmented needed to reduce poverty across the nation. and capitalizing on the new opportunities that a thriving economy can provide. ladies and gentlemen, so far i have talked about how we will achieve self reliance by ending corruption balancing the budget mobilizing our women and youth, and growing the economy. let me now turn to the elephant that is lurking in the back of the room. we must secure peace. [ applause ] afghans have shown that we know how to fight. unfortunately, we have inherited

that skill for three million years. since as far back as the invasions of alexander, and the more modern expulsion of the soviet union, afghans have shown we will protect our country against foreign attack no matter how steep the price or how well armed the intruder. i have no doubt that provided they continue to receive equipment and training our armed forces will stand strong to build a base inside of our territory. but we must now show we can also bring peace. our strategy is build around three initiatives. the first is to build a community of nations that is committed to stability in asia. dr. abdullah and i have met with the leaders of our neighbors and china, among others. their commitment for building

mutual security across nation includes ending the financing and sanctuary for extremist groups. the second initiative is to build up the ability of our rmed a forces to project -- to project their elected government across our entire national territory. our partnership with the united states now transforms into the resolute support mission has given afghanistan a well-trained army that is bringing the fight to the enemy. we are no longer on the defensive, but have taken the offensive. on december 31, 2014 all combat operationser were handed over to afghan national security forces. general john campbell has declared that afghan's army's professional and morality meet all of the military expectations. thanks to our army we will

negotiate with the taliban from a position of strength not weakness, to the hard fought gains are not lost. [ applause ] >> the third initiative will be our push for national reconciliation. the taliban need to choose not to be al-qaeda and be our friend. and if they choose to be afghan they will be welcome to be part of the fabric of our society. [ applause ] >> many believe themselves to be patriots against the corruption and criminality that they saw in their towns and villages. we can deal with legitimate grievances provided that competence agree to respect the constitution and the rule of law as the outcomes of negotiation

we are confident we can find a path for their return to society. ladies and gentlemen i'm not here to tell you a story about an overnight transformation of my country. you are too wise for such stories. 12 years of partnership provide evidence enough that the road ahead will be difficult. we live in a rough neighborhood we are a very poor country, self reliance is our goal. we bare the scars of the fight against the soviet union, and the forces of fundamentalism. scars that are a match in our minds and the bodies of afghan farmers and american soldiers who fought for freedom. although we may be poor we are very proud. partners are tired of hearing the promises that we later failed to keep. we want your know how, the business skills of your

corporations, the innovation of your startups and the commitment of your ngo's, but we don't want your charity. we have no more interest in perpetuating a childish dependence than you have with being saddled with a poor family member who lacks the energy and drive to get out and find a job. we're not going to be the lazy uncle joe. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> afghanistan can and will be an enduring success. your support, your understanding, and your commitment to our country will not have been in vein. afghanistan will be the graveyard of al-qaeda and their foreign terrorist associates. [ applause ]

>> never again will our country be host to terrorists. never again will we give extremists the sanctuary to plan their destructive plots. we're determined to become the asian development round about and the platform for the peaceful corporation of our civilization. together our two countries will finish the job that began on that clear, terrible september morning almost 14 years ago. we have the will and we have the commitment that will anchor our country in the world community of peaceful democratic nations. knowing our conditions you the american congress and the american people will decide how to ensure that our common goals