The new U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, retired Army lieutenant general Karl Eikenberry, tells NPR's Tom Bowman that "the government of Afghanistan owes to its people — and frankly to the international community which is making enormous sacrifices here — a very serious effort to attack known problems of corruption, absolutely."

Eikenberry, still getting used to being a diplomat instead of a military commander, made "two false starts" in trying to answer Tom's question about corruption in Afghanistan's government.

Tom's interview with the ambassador — Eikenberry's first since taking the job earlier this year — aired earlier on Morning Edition:

Along with Tom, NPR's David Gilkey and Graham Smith are reporting from Afghanistan for the next few weeks.