Washington — Afghanistan leader Hamid Karzai appealed to thousands of young Afghan-Americans on Sunday to return to their homeland and apply their skills to rebuilding the war-ravaged country.
"Without your cooperation, we're not going to make it," Karzai told an enthusiastic audience that jammed into a basketball arena at Georgetown University.
Karzai, whose remarks were translated into English, made no reference to the U.S. role in making his rise to power a month ago possible.
Afghan officials said he was expected to touch on that and other issues today when he calls on Bush at the White House to seek a continuing U.S. commitment to help restore the peace in his country.
Karzai, 44, arrived here Sunday, the first Afghan leader to visit Washington in 39 years.
Before leaving for the United States, Karzai told Afghan television that he would use the trip to push for the expansion of a multinational peacekeeping force into the rest of Afghanistan.
Karzai will be a guest of honor Tuesday when Bush delivers the State of the Union address.
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.