Rumsfeld said the decision was reached by Bush, himself and top U.S. military commander General Tommy Franks "in cooperation with" Karzai

KABUL , May 1 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declared Thursday, May 1, the end of "major combat" operations by U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan , 18 months after they toppled the Taliban regime.

Washington and Kabul had concluded "that we are at the point where we have clearly moved from major combat activities to a period of stability and stabilization and reconstruction activities," Rumsfeld said following a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the Afghan capital Kabul .

Rumsfeld said the conclusion was reached by Bush, himself and top U.S. military commander General Tommy Franks "in cooperation with" Karzai, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

He said he was struck by the improvement in Kabul as he arrived in the war-scarred city for a flying visit.

"As I drove from the airport, I was impressed with the marked changes that I saw," Rumsfeld.

As the U.S. defence secretary toured a military training center in Kabul for new Afghan soldiers, Lieutenant General Dan McNeil, commander of some 8,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan , said that declaring an end to major combat operations would help persuade foreign donors to step up reconstruction efforts.

"I think the international community has to take some bolder steps on reconstruction," McNeil said.

"They maintain that if there was some statement that the situation is 'this,' (major combat operations over), their governments would be more prone to supporting the reconstruction efforts.

"We think for sometime we've had that situation," he added.

Rumsfeld had travelled from Kuwait where he wrapped up a week-long tour of the Gulf, which included a visit to Iraq .

Fulbright Program Relaunched

In another development, the United States will offer at least 20 Afghan students the chance to immerse themselves in U.S. culture, education and language later this year, after relaunching the Fulbright scholars program for Afghanistan after 24 years.

The scheme, which permits educational exchanges between the United States and friendly nations, was billed by the State Department as proof of Washington 's commitment to reconstructing Afghanistan after the ouster of Taliban.

"Prior to its suspension in 1979 after the Soviet invasion, the Afghanistan-United States Fulbright Program had a rich history of promoting mutual respect and understanding through educational and cultural exchange," the department said in a statement.

"The reactivation of the prestigious program signifies the U.S. commitment to rebuilding the once vibrant bilateral relations in education and culture, and acknowledges Afghanistan 's resurgence as a full partner in significant academic exchange."

Between its debut in 1963 and its suspension in 1979 the program sponsored more than 250 Afghan students and scholars in trips to the United States .

A one-year, non-degree Fulbright program, starting in September will permit a minimum of 20 Afghans to take academic training in the United States and to polish their English language skills.

"The participants will enhance their academic and professional skills, enabling them to lead in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan , and to strengthen ties between their country and the United States ," the statement said.

The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by former Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas .