Afghan chief seeks continuing U.S. role

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.

"You are the future of our country," Karzai said, speaking alternatively in two of Afghanistan's main languages. "Study hard, work hard, make money and bring it to Afghanistan," he added, drawing laughter.

Karzai spoke for 45 minutes and then answered questions for an additional 30 minutes, delivering a message that was uniformly upbeat about Afghanistan's future.

He alluded to a conference of donor nations last week in Tokyo which pledged $4.5 billion to Afghanistan over five years. "Our responsibility is starting," he said. "We have to say to these people that we are going to deliver also."

Karzai made no reference to the United States or its role in making his rise to power possible. Afghan officials said he was expected to touch on that and other issues today when calls on President Bush at the White House to seek a continuing U.S. commitment to restore peace in his country.

Before leaving for the United States, Karzai told Afghan television he would use the trip to push for the expansion of a multinational peacekeeping force into the rest of Afghanistan.

Afghan officials say troops are needed to deal with regional warlords and gangs. They also have indicated they want American troops to participate. "This is the determination of the Afghan people," Karzai said.