Afghan leader lambastes US over massacre
Source: Agencies |
March 17, 2012, Saturday
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AFGHAN President Hamid Karzai criticized the United States yesterday, saying he is at the "end of the rope" because of the lack of US cooperation into a probe of a killing spree allegedly carried out by an American soldier.
In a meeting with families of the 16 Afghan civilians killed last Sunday in southern Afghanistan, Karzai said the delegation he sent to investigate the shootings did not receive the cooperation the Afghans expected from American officials.
During the meeting, the relatives of the dead insisted there must have been more than one shooter and argued they did not receive all the information they asked for from Americans.
Previously, Afghan officials had said there was surveillance video that was kept from them.
"This has been going on for too long. This is by all means the end of the rope here," Karzai said at the end of the meeting.
"This form of activity, this behavior, cannot be tolerated. It's past, past, past the time," Karzai added.
The Afghan leader stressed that he wants a good relationship with the US but that it is becoming increasingly difficult.
He insisted the United States needs to respect the culture and laws of Afghanistan.
The US staff sergeant suspected in the killings is accused of slipping out of his base before dawn on March 11 and sneaking into the homes of three Afghan families, shooting 16 of them dead and burning some of the bodies. Another five people were wounded.
The soldier has not been identified, but officials have said the 38-year-old is based in Washington state. He was transferred late Wednesday to a facility in Kuwait and is expected to be flown to a military prison in the US.
On Thursday, the American campaign in Afghanistan suffered two blows.
The Taliban announced they were breaking off talks with the US and Karzai tried to speed up the transfer of security responsibilities to Afghan forces, saying the international forces should pull out of rural areas.
Afghan officials said Karzai wanted the pullback to start now, but US officials said he did not tell US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that it should happen immediately.
Karzai said US President Barack Obama called him earlier yesterday seeking to confirm the Afghan leader had requested the pullout of international troops from bases in rural areas such as the one where the accused US soldier was stationed.
"Yesterday, I said clearly that the Americans should leave our villages," Karzai said. "This morning, Obama called regarding this issue. He asked, 'Did you announce this?' I said, "Yes, I announced it.'"
"I insist on this issue," Karzai said, adding: "The fight is not in the villages, not in the houses of Afghanistan."
In a meeting with families of the 16 Afghan civilians killed last Sunday in southern Afghanistan, Karzai said the delegation he sent to investigate the shootings did not receive the cooperation the Afghans expected from American officials.
During the meeting, the relatives of the dead insisted there must have been more than one shooter and argued they did not receive all the information they asked for from Americans.
Previously, Afghan officials had said there was surveillance video that was kept from them.
"This has been going on for too long. This is by all means the end of the rope here," Karzai said at the end of the meeting.
"This form of activity, this behavior, cannot be tolerated. It's past, past, past the time," Karzai added.
The Afghan leader stressed that he wants a good relationship with the US but that it is becoming increasingly difficult.
He insisted the United States needs to respect the culture and laws of Afghanistan.
The US staff sergeant suspected in the killings is accused of slipping out of his base before dawn on March 11 and sneaking into the homes of three Afghan families, shooting 16 of them dead and burning some of the bodies. Another five people were wounded.
The soldier has not been identified, but officials have said the 38-year-old is based in Washington state. He was transferred late Wednesday to a facility in Kuwait and is expected to be flown to a military prison in the US.
On Thursday, the American campaign in Afghanistan suffered two blows.
The Taliban announced they were breaking off talks with the US and Karzai tried to speed up the transfer of security responsibilities to Afghan forces, saying the international forces should pull out of rural areas.
Afghan officials said Karzai wanted the pullback to start now, but US officials said he did not tell US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that it should happen immediately.
Karzai said US President Barack Obama called him earlier yesterday seeking to confirm the Afghan leader had requested the pullout of international troops from bases in rural areas such as the one where the accused US soldier was stationed.
"Yesterday, I said clearly that the Americans should leave our villages," Karzai said. "This morning, Obama called regarding this issue. He asked, 'Did you announce this?' I said, "Yes, I announced it.'"
"I insist on this issue," Karzai said, adding: "The fight is not in the villages, not in the houses of Afghanistan."
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