Karzai says NATO and US should stop their operations in Afghanistan

[News_Editor]

Karzai says NATO and US should stop their operations in Afghanistan

2011-03-12 22:48:22 GMT+7 (ICT)

ASADABAD, AFGHANISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Saturday he wants an end to U.S. and ISAF forces operations in Afghanistan, Pajhwok Afghan News reported.

"If the war is against terrorists, then militant hideouts across the border be destroyed. There are no terrorists in our villages," the president said.

Accompanied by a number of advisers and the deputy NATO commander, Karzai arrived in Asadabad, the capital of Kunar province, to condole with families of airstrike victims in Ghaziabad district. More than 70 people, including women and children were killed during raids in Ghaziabad and Nanglam Valley last month.

Karzai met with relatives of the individuals killed and wounded during the February 18 coalition airstrike in which, according to provincial officials, coalition forces killed as many as 64 civilians. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), however, said it didn't have any reports of civilian deaths. ISAF said 36 insurgents were killed.

Before addressing a huge gathering of tribal elders, Karzai offered prayers for the dead. In his speech, the president said they were thankful to foreign countries for assistance, but they were extremely shocked over the killing of civilians at the hands of international troops in Afghanistan.

"Afghan suffered a lot in the nearly decade-long war. No other nation in the world has suffered as much as Afghans. The war has been imposed on us and we want an end to this. There should be no bombings and no unnecessary arrests," the president stressed, as cited by Pajhwok Afghan News.

He said when the February 18 incident happened, NATO leaders apologized to him, but he remained silent and did not answer their apologies.

"We know how to live. We have a history … and respect guests. My silence does not mean we will always respect the guests," he warned.

Karzai gave the NATO deputy commander photos of the children killed in the February 28 bombardment and told him to show it to his government and people. The children aged between 10 and 15, who were collecting firewood, were killed during a U.S. air strike. Initially, ISAF claimed that nine insurgents were killed.

Conflicted-related civilian deaths in Afghanistan increased 15 percent to 2,777 in 2010 compared to the previous year, according to an annual report conducted by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.

According to the report, anti-government elements were linked to 2,080 civilian deaths (75 percent of all civilian deaths), up 28 percent from 2009, while pro-government forces were linked to 440 civilian deaths (16 percent), down 26 percent from 2009. Aerial attacks by ISAF remained the most harmful pro-government tactic in 2010, killing 171 civilians, which is 39 percent of total civilian deaths linked to pro-government forces.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-03-12

[bangkokeddy]

The installed puppet to give that war a legit face now says: GET OUT!

What will happen next?

[Hawaiian]

Seems like his wallet can't hold any more money.

[bangkokeddy]

Seems like his wallet can't hold any more money.

He is probably also little bit worried about all these mistakes that kills his people.

[Ulysses G.]

Maybe we should take him up on it and save a lot of money. Considering the timing, this could be a blessing.

[beechguy]

Seems like his wallet can't hold any more money.

He is probably also little bit worried about all these mistakes that kills his people.

He should be more worried about the 76% civilain casualties caused by the intentional attacks of the Taliban/al Qaeda.

[bangkokeddy]

Seems like his wallet can't hold any more money.

He is probably also little bit worried about all these mistakes that kills his people.

He should be more worried about the 76% civilain casualties caused by the intentional attacks of the Taliban/al Qaeda.

His worries. Not the business of the NATO and the US.

[Steely Dan]

Maybe we should take him up on it and save a lot of money. Considering the timing, this could be a blessing.

Yes, let them fail unaided, I think the forces there are needed for forthcoming action to the west of Afghanistan, and north of Iraq.

[geriatrickid]

Karzai is also expressing his frustration with Pakistan which hasn't been effective against the Taliban safe regions in the area of Pakistan that says is its land. Pakistan refuses to cooperate with the ISAF.

Karzai's statement about ISAF and NATO are empty. It allows him cover since he knows people are angry and he can point the finger and say, see it's the foreign infidels, not me.

I agree that ISAF and NATO should leave. The first step is to pull out Karzai's special security detachment. Once the westerners that are protecting him and his family are removed he can then focus on his funeral arrangements. However, before they leave, they should remind Mr. Karzi, that the millions of dollars his family and cronies have pilfered will be seized once the holding banks are identified. (Dubai, UAE and Qatar banks still have to use EU and US financial markets so they are not immune.)

[flying]

Not surprisingly ( to most ) 63% of Americans agree with Karzai & oppose the war in Afghanistan.

Yet obviously we do not actually have a say in it.

As usual it is promoted by war propaganda in order to serve special interests.

[animatic]

He's just repositioning himself for when they are gone.

[Wallaby]

Best thing that could happen is to leave them to it. Much more worrying things in other places in the world to worry about now.