Laura Bush visits Afghanistan and urges more support

By Matt Spetalnick

KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. first lady Laura Bush appealed to the international community on Sunday not to abandon Afghanistan in the face of resurgent Taliban violence.

Rocked by daily battles with Taliban rebels that have killed some 12,000 people in two years, Kabul is to ask international donors in Paris this week to fund a $50-billion five-year development plan it hopes will undercut the insurgency.

Mrs Bush said a major thrust of her unannounced visit to Afghanistan was to shore up the international commitment as Afghan, U.S. and NATO forces struggle to contain Taliban guerrilla attacks and suicide bombs.

"We don't need to be intimidated by them," Mrs Bush told reporters traveling with her. "The international community can't drop Afghanistan now at this very crucial time."

It was important Afghans understood "the rest of the world is with you and that we're not going to leave you right now when the Taliban and al Qaeda is trying to intimidate you", she said.

Mrs Bush said she hoped her visit would help her make the case in Paris that the international community "needs to stay with Afghanistan".

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he would give donors a "wish-list" in Paris. "We will come back with some significant assistance," he told a news conference alongside Mrs Bush.

The U.S. military alone spends some $100 million a day fighting the Taliban, but daily spending on aid by all donors amounts to only $7 million, aid experts say.  Continued...