ISLAMABAD -- Afghanistan's warring factions have finally found common ground on which to build a new government almost two decades after their country was invaded by troops from the former Soviet Union. The civil war that followed the withdrawal of the Soviets has claimed thousands of lives and left much of Afghanistan in rubble.
The new peace agreement would clearly have remained just a distant hope without the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that led to Washington's military campaign against the Taliban and the international promises of help to rebuild Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai, a respected tribal leader, is to head the new Afghan government.
While the peace talks progressed in Bonn, Germany, representatives of Western donors met in Berlin to pledge assistance to Afghanistan. The combined political and economic efforts mark the first time that the Western world has taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Afghanistan. The message to Afghans could not have been more clear: If Afghans choose progress on the political road, the Western world will support them with billions of dollars in assistance for reconstruction.