Brussels, Belgium, May 11, SPA -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the NATO allies Wednesday his country will requiresecurity and other assistance from the internationalcommunity for many years to come. On a visit to NATO headquarters, the Afghan leader thankedthe allies for deploying thousands of troops to help makeAfghanistan safe and secure, but stressed their job will befar from finished after elections, scheduled for Sept. 18. Afghanistan will require "sustained, rigorousassistance" in the years ahead, Karzai told a pressconference after meeting with senior NATO officials. "For Afghanistan to be able to stand on its own feet ...international assistance will be needed for many, manyyears to come," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer stressed thealliance's commitment to expand its Afghan peacekeepingmission by sending troops to the west of the country.--SPA1454 Local Time 1154 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/261542