New U.N. mission arrives in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 28 (UPI) -- After a sharpening of the U.N. mandate's focus in Afghanistan, the new U.N. mission in the country arrived in Kabul Friday.

U.N. Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan Kai Eide announced a pledge to boost assistance to the Afghanistan government to help stabilize the country. Eide also called on the international community to fulfill outstanding promises to actively engage in Afghanistan to secure the country from insurgent forces.

"I come to Afghanistan with the utmost respect for its people, religion and history and I am grateful for the support and confidence of President Hamid Karzai and the international community," Eide said in a statement. "Afghanistan has been calling for stronger coordination of international assistance -- we need to better respond to this demand."

Despite the new push from the United Nations, many critics say with a rampant opium trade largely funding militant operations and many in the Afghan government allegedly taking money to look the other way, the task of standing up the country's leadership remains a difficult proposition.