(19 Sep 2006)
1. Wide of Afghan President Hamid Karzai walking to podium, as the audience applauds
2. Pan over audience to stage
3. SOUNDBITE (English): Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan:
"The terrorism in our part of the world emanates from some of us relying solely on extremism, on religious extremism as an instrument of policy. The more we do that the more we lead to violence. The more we do that, the more we endanger our own region and beyond."
4. Wide shot of Karzai on stage
5. SOUNDBITE (English): Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan:
"Afghanistan will have two sets of problems. One set of problems will be internal to us, weak government, inefficient government, lack of human capital, lack of material resources, and the consequences they will have for any society. That will take time, their own time, to recover from. The other set of problems that are hurting us right now, and will continue to hurt us as we move into the future, are narcotics and terrorism."
6. Wide shot Karzai on stage
7. SOUNDBITE (English): Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan:
"My country in it has a great prospect, with young manpower, with eager manpower, with a desire for a better future, with the proof that once we work we deliver, especially when there is cooperation from international community, which I have described always as the cooperation of civilisations. That cooperation of civilisations has brought today to Afghanistan what we wanted, what we cherished for a long time - democracy and freedom and prosperity."
8. Pan over audience giving Karzai a standing ovation
STORYLINE:
Aghan president Hamid Karzai on Monday gave an upbeat assessment of the future for his country as he joined world leaders in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.
Speaking about his hopes for growth and prosperity, he said Afghanistan had made great progress since 2001, but admitted there were still serious problems to overcome.
"One set of problems will be internal to us, weak government, inefficient government, lack of human capital, lack of material resources, and the consequences they will have for any society," he said, adding that they would be overcome in time.
"The other set of problems that are hurting us right now and will continue to hurt us as we move into the future are narcotics and terrorism," he told a packed auditorium, during a meeting organised by the Asia Society, a non profit organisation dedicated to improving US-Asian relations.
He repeatedly said if Afghanistan was to grow into a real democracy, the international community would have to find a way to stop religious extremists.
"The terrorism in our part of the world emanates from some of us relying solely on extremism, on religious extremism as an instrument of policy," he said. "The more we do that the more we lead to violence, the more we do that, the more we endanger our own region and beyond."
The Afghan President however remained optimistic about Afghanistan's future.
"My country in it has a great prospect, with young manpower, with eager manpower, with a desire for a better future, with the proof that once we work we deliver, especially when there is cooperation from international community," he said.
"That cooperation of civilisations has brought today to Afghanistan what we wanted, what we cherished for a long time, democracy and freedom and prosperity," he concluded.

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