Clinton said American financial assistance to Afghanistan will be targeted toward ministries with a proven track record for efficiency and transparency.

"There are certain ministries ... American money will not be going to," Clinton told CBS's "Face the Nation" television program.

"Our aid is going to be based on a certification of accountability and transparency," she said.

"We've looked at every civilian assistance program and contract and we've said, 'look, we're not going to just aid and abet bad behavior'," she said.

"We will be putting the money where ... we think we've got people who are doing a good job," she said.

She conceded that US officials may have done a less than stellar job in the past of keeping tabs on aid, but said that renewed efforts will be made to do so going forward.

"Part of the challenge here is to begin to make the more difficult, complicated assessments that were not made before," she said.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates added during the same broadcast that aid would not be directed to a full-scale "nation-building" effort, but would be targeted in nature.

"What we are going to do is focus on the ministries that matter to our success and that contribute to the success of our strategy both with respect to Al-Qaeda and stabilizing the security situation," he said.

The defense secretary's remarks echoed those made last week by the White House, which said through its chief spokesman Robert Gibbs that Obama had told Afghan President Hamid Karzai that "it is time for a new chapter in Afghan governance."

The White House on Wednesday warned Afghan President Hamid Karzai to fight corruption or see Washington bypass his cabinet and seek out lower level officials to provide essential services to Afghans.

When he unveiled his new Afghan strategy in a speech last Tuesday, Obama made it clear he expected major changes from the Karzai government's status quo.

"The days of providing a blank check are over," Obama said, noting that Karzai sent the "right message about moving in a new direction" when he was inaugurated last month as president for another term.

"Going forward, we will be clear about what we expect from those who receive our assistance," Obama said.

"We'll support Afghan ministries, governors, and local leaders that combat corruption and deliver for the people. We expect those who are ineffective or corrupt to be held accountable," the president added.

US Marines press southern Afghan offensive
Kandahar, Afghanistan (AFP) Dec 4, 2009 - US, British and Afghan troops pushed deeper into Taliban villages in the first major offensive since President Barack Obama unveiled a new war strategy, an official said Saturday.

More than 1,000 forces are sweeping through part of the southern province of Helmand to oust the Taliban from one of the key battlegrounds in Afghanistan, allow development to begin and civilians to return to deserted villages.

"The operation in Now Zad district is ongoing," southern Afghan military corp commander General Shair Mohammad Zazai told AFP.

"We have cleared some villages but there have not been any casualties on our side or to the enemy today. So far four militants have been killed as part the the operation," Zazai added.

The US military was not immediately reachable for comment.

Around 900 US Marines, British troops and 150 Afghan forces launched Operation Cobra's Anger in Now Zad on Friday as NATO nations pledged at least 7,000 troops to back the new US-led drive against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda

Now Zad, one of the most troubled districts in Helmand and heavily mined by the Taliban, has been empty due to years of fighting, military commanders say.

The province produces about 50 percent of the world's opium. Its largely unguarded southern border with Pakistan is both a route for the illicit drug trade and for a steady supply of Taliban recruits and supplies.

The operation is smaller than that launched in July by 4,000 US Marines in Helmand, where British troops have struggled for years to rein in an increasingly virulent Taliban insurgency.

Under Obama's troop build-up, the Marine Corps was expected to deploy up to 9,000 forces in Helmand, Marine spokesman Lieutenant Josh Diddams told AFP.

That would double the American military presence in the province.

The United States has been stepping up appeals for further allied troop reinforcements since President Barack Obama announced Tuesday that he was sending 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan over the coming months.

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