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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared Tired Gay succumbs to Dix in 200 meters 03 Jul 2010 Democratic senator's lead shrinks in California: poll 9:02am EDT Netanyahu bodyguards' guns go missing on U.S. visit | Video 07 Jul 2010 Aircraft completes first solar-powered night flight 7:33am EDT Court fight looms, BP dampens hope of early leak fix | Video 11:46am EDT Germans shell-shocked by oracle octopus 06 Jul 2010 Viagra-popping seniors lead the pack for STDs 06 Jul 2010 China may take action on stocks if slide worsens 1:21am EDT BP aims to fix leaking oil well by July 27: report 1:29am EDT Futures point to Wall Street slipping after surge 5:12am EDT Tired Gay succumbs to Dix in 200 meters 03 Jul 2010 Aircraft completes first solar-powered night flight 7:33am EDT Netanyahu bodyguards' guns go missing on U.S. visit | Video 07 Jul 2010 Democratic senator's lead shrinks in California: poll 9:02am EDT Germans shell-shocked by oracle octopus 06 Jul 2010 CNN fires veteran editor for Mideast over Tweet 4:09am EDT Study finds bank bailouts profitable for U.S. 07 Jul 2010 Court fight looms, BP dampens hope of early leak fix | Video 11:46am EDT Viagra-popping seniors lead the pack for STDs 06 Jul 2010 ESPN says World Cup exceeded all expectations 07 Jul 2010 Afghanistan graft sharply up as insurgency grows too Digg This Tweet This Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Related News U.N.-backed panel disqualifies Afghan poll candidates Wed, Jul 7 2010 U.S. lawmakers press Afghanistan's Karzai on graft Tue, Jul 6 2010 Ex-Taliban governor sees little hope for Afghan peace Tue, Jul 6 2010 Afghan war at critical stage, says Petraeus Sun, Jul 4 2010 British soldier's graft appeal begins in Afghanistan Sat, Jul 3 2010 Related Topics World » Afghanistan And Pakistan » By Rob Taylor KABUL | Thu Jul 8, 2010 7:18am EDT KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's government came under fresh pressure on Thursday to tackle widespread graft after a survey found soaring corruption was giving political strength to Taliban insurgents ahead of a fresh U.S. and NATO war push. Corruption in the country had more than doubled since 2007 and nine years after the start of the war to oust the Taliban, was now at levels well above fundamentalist rule, costing $1 billion a year in an $11 billion economy. One in seven Afghans now regularly paid bribes. "There is a clear link between the increased power of the Taliban and increased corruption in the state," survey author Lorenzo Delesgues of local anti-graft watchdog Integrity Watch Afghanistan told reporters. International donors and military commanders want President Hamid Karzai to drastically improve governance standards or risk counterbalancing a U.S. and NATO offensive against insurgents in ahead of a U.S. troop phase-down starting in July 2011. The survey was carried out late last year in all but two of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, and was the first national look at the petty corruption that most affects ordinary Afghans, rather than the major graft issues plaguing Karzai's government. Corruption hit hardest among poorer people in rural areas, the survey found, including the south where the insurgency is strongest and where 150,000 international troops are now concentrating under a Washington-masterminded surge strategy. But encouragingly, Delesgues said, only 14 percent of people actually saw the Taliban as well placed to deal with corruption demands affecting access to justice, education, land tenure, health, home electricity and local government. "It's interesting. They (Taliban) grow because of corruption, but at the same time they are not the solution," Delesgues said. "There is still a belief that the solution will be brought by the institutions, by the state." More than 70 percent of Afghans believed the government and associated bureaucracy, including police and the courts, were the most corrupt sectors, and 50 percent thought that helped the expansion of the Taliban, the survey found. But the government also ranked second on a list of institutions most able to battle corruption, ahead of media and international aid agencies, but behind local mullahs. IMPORTANT TRUST "The presidential office is among them. There is an important trust in the this office and in the political will that could be generated from that office in order to fight corruption," Delesgues said. The Taliban ranked last, just behind private business. Average petty bribes ranged from around $70 -- a monthly salary for poorer people -- to obtain identity documents or passports, to around $180 for access to higher education. The average bribe paid to a police officer was $123. The Interior Ministry overseeing the police, the Justice Ministry controlling courts, and Afghanistan's main intelligence agency -- the National Directorate of Security (NDS) -- were the most corrupt departments, most people said. A former British soldier was last week acquitted of trying to bribe NDS officials for the release of two impounded vehicles. Around a quarter of the 6,500 people surveyed reported having paid a bribe last year, but Delesgues said Afghans were not historically corrupt people. "Corruption is not cultural in Afghanistan," Delesgues said. "It is something that is eroding very slowly peoples' trust. In the hearts and minds battle, petty corruption is key and needs to be addressed." (Editing by David Fox) World Afghanistan And Pakistan Add a Comment *We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. 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