Afghan setback

The ouster of a prosecutor in Afghanistan has sharpened U.S. doubts about the Afghan government's willingness to fight corruption.

The dismissal of Fazel Ahmed Faqiyar and another prosecutor who were pursuing government corruption cases has dismayed U.S. officials.

"What he was doing was very important," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told the Wall Street Journal. "Those charged with pursuing corruption need to continue their work without political interference. It's something we are watching to make sure the Afghan government lives up to the pledges it has made in battling corruption."

The United States has supported Afghan panels established to target high-level graft, fraud and corruption. Mr. Karzai's cooperation has proved spotty.

The problem is, the United States and its allies need the Afghan government to reform and improve. As the U.S. troops and others expand security, that must be followed by good government to affect real change.

U.S. forces are capable of providing the security, noted Christine Fair, assistant professor of the Center for Peace and Security Studies at Georgetown University. But, she said: "There is a fundamental lack of commitment from the Afghan side and we simply can't win this without the governance."

Mr. Faqiyar said that more than two dozen high Afghan officials are under investigation, including cabinet ministers and governors. He claims that cases against the officials have been stymied by Attorney General Mohammed Ishaq Aloko, who is under orders from Mr. Karzai.

If this scenario is true, the United States faces difficult odds making progress in Afghanistan. Military might alone cannot win the day. The Afghan government needs to do its part.