Karzai: First Afghan leader to visit Capital in 39 years

WASHINGTON -- When Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's interim leader, meets President Bush today, he is expected to seek a continuing U.S. commitment to help restore the peace in his violence-torn country, Afghan officials say. \nKarzai arrived here Sunday afternoon, the first Afghan leader to visit Washington in 39 years. \nBefore 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. \nAfghan officials believe troops are needed in the countryside to deal with regional warlords and armed gangs. They also have indicated they want American troops to participate. \n"This is the determination of the Afghan people," Karzai said. \nThe Bush administration has resisted U.S. involvement in the 2,500-person British-led international security assistance force operating in Kabul. Thousands more troops are expected. \nAfter visiting a mosque in suburban northern Virginia, Karzai, 44, planned an evening address at Georgetown University to the local Afghan community. \nThe Bush administration is undecided on how long U.S. troops, currently numbering about 4,000, should remain in Afghanistan. \nAfghan Foreign Minister Abdullah said in an interview Friday he believes U.S. and international forces should remain in Afghanistan beyond the six-month life of the interim government. \nDefense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said last week that American troops will remain in Afghanistan at least until the summer. The interim government steps down in June and will be replaced by a government selected by a national council. \nThe American military focus in Afghanistan has been on hunting down remnants of the Taliban regime that was deposed in November and the al Qaeda terrorist group, headed by Osama bin Laden.\nVice President Dick Cheney said Sunday he believes bin Laden, blamed for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, is still alive.