US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld Wednesday showed his support to Afghanistan's incumbent President Hamid Karzai during his one day visit in Kabul ahead of the first-ever Presidential Election slated for Oct. 9. 

"Your leadership has shown great courage in efforts to unite the country's dispute groups and to understand and make the will of the Afghan people," Rumsfeld told the press while holding a joint news conference in the heavily-guarded Presidential Place.

He also reaffirmed the US commitment to rebuilding the country saying "The US and our coalition partners are committed to helping the Afghan people achieve the noble goal and building this country in a new democracy."

He also voiced concern over the growing drug problem in the war-wrecked central Asian nation and called for its solution.

"The large drug threat posses to the success of this country are too serious to be ignored. The international community and the government of Afghanistan will have to fashion a plan to address it in a very serious way," he noted.

Rumsfeld, who paid an unannounced tour, amid tight security earlier held talks with Defense Minister Mohammad Qasim Fahim who is unhappy over his replacement as the chief running mate in the presidential race.

"We discussed with Defense Minister Fahim Khan the disarmament program, the problem of narcotics and discussed reform in the Defense Ministry," he said.

The US Defense Secretary in his second visit here this year and the seventh tour since the collapse of Taliban in late 2001 expressed his happiness over the voters' registration process and preparation for the first-ever presidential race in Afghanistan.

"Surging registration that has taken place and registering over 9 million Afghans is a demonstration to make democracy work," Rumsfeld maintained.

His one day visit is taking place amid increasing militancy in the south, southeast and eastern part of the war-ravaged country as well as emerging rift between the US-backed Karzai and former Mujahidin leaders headed by powerful Defense Minister Fahim.

Fahim, who was dropped as chief running mate in the presidential race last month vowed to back Karzai' rival the former Education Minister Yunus Qanooni in the run.

For his part, President Karzai thanked the US government as well as Defense Secretary for their support in ousting terrorism, Taliban and rebuilding process of Afghanistan.

Taliban's fugitive leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, who terms the election as a "drama to legitimize the US occupation of Afghanistan" has threatened to derail the polls by any possible means.

(Xinhua News Agency August 12, 2004)