Scotsman
By Jerome Starkey in Kabul

WITH less than 72 hours until President Hamid Karzai’s inauguration, his government did its best yesterday to convince the world it really can crack down on corruption.

Flanked by the British and American ambassadors, a raft of leading ministers cursed the “cancer” in their ranks and promised to root out its perpetrators, no matter how high up they were.

Not for the first time they announced grand plans for independent commissions and dedicated courts to convict the white-collar criminals, including ministers and police officers, undermining the West’s resolve to rebuild Afghanistan. (Read more)