Afghan President Hamid Karzai took the oath of office for a second term on Thursday, straining under Western pressure to eradicate corruption and restore legitimacy. Newly-elected Hamid Karzai said that he would not repeat past mistakes. After his re-election, Hamid Karzai said that Afghan security forces would be able to take charge in five years. He vowed to end the corruption and nepotism from the country. The inauguration ceremony was attended by President Asif Ali Zardari among other foreign dignitaries. President Zardari being the head of state was the most senior dignitary who attended the inauguration ceremony, joined by US State Secretary Hillary Clinton and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. With his presence at the ceremony, President Asif Zardari reciprocated the gesture of Afghan President when he had especially arrived in Islamabad last year to attend the formers oath-taking ceremony.
