Afghans ready to fill gap as US troops go early
Source: Agencies |
February 14, 2013, Thursday
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THE Afghan government yesterday welcomed US President Barack Obama's decision to bring home half of the 66,000 American troops in Afghanistan within the next year, saying Afghan forces were ready to take responsibility for the country's security.
President Hamid Karzai has been pressing for a faster pace in the withdrawal of foreign combat troops from Afghanistan and agreed with Obama last month to accelerate the handover of security responsibilities to his country's newly trained security forces to this spring instead of late summer as originally planned.
"We are ready to fill the vacuum and we are ready to take full responsibility for security in 2013," defense ministry spokesman Mohammad Zahir Azimi said.
On Tuesday, Obama said in his State of the Union address that the first 34,000 troops would leave within a year and more in 2014, when all foreign combat forces were to leave the country.
The US-led NATO coalition has about 100,000 troops in Afghanistan, including the 66,000 Americans. Many countries are also expected to accelerate their own withdrawals. Britain, which has 9,000 troops there, is expected to drop to 5,200 by the end of the year - although they and the US troops are expected to start the main withdrawals after the summer.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid also welcomed the drawdown, but said it wasn't enough. The coalition, he said, should leave immediately.
"Western governments must realize their baseless war in Afghanistan had no benefit for them," Mujahid said.
"Thousands of their soldiers were killed, disabled or faced psychological problems. Billions of dollars were spent, which affected their economies. Their people are faced with poverty and other problems.
"Now it is time for America and all other countries to put an end to this baseless war in Afghanistan and withdraw their troops."
Meanwhile, a NATO air strike killed 10 civilians, mostly women and children, Afghan officials said yesterday.
Karzai "strongly condemns the NATO airstrike in Shigal district which killed 10 civilians," the presidential palace said in a statement.
"Condemning the raid, he once again reaffirmed his long-standing stance that terrorism does not exist in Afghan homes and villages, and the fight there will not yield any successful result."
NATO forces said they were investigating the claims of civilian deaths.
The civilians were killed by a NATO airstrike during an overnight raid on a Taliban hideout in a remote eastern region, local officials said.
"Five children, four women and a man were killed," Kunar provincial governor Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi said.
President Hamid Karzai has been pressing for a faster pace in the withdrawal of foreign combat troops from Afghanistan and agreed with Obama last month to accelerate the handover of security responsibilities to his country's newly trained security forces to this spring instead of late summer as originally planned.
"We are ready to fill the vacuum and we are ready to take full responsibility for security in 2013," defense ministry spokesman Mohammad Zahir Azimi said.
On Tuesday, Obama said in his State of the Union address that the first 34,000 troops would leave within a year and more in 2014, when all foreign combat forces were to leave the country.
The US-led NATO coalition has about 100,000 troops in Afghanistan, including the 66,000 Americans. Many countries are also expected to accelerate their own withdrawals. Britain, which has 9,000 troops there, is expected to drop to 5,200 by the end of the year - although they and the US troops are expected to start the main withdrawals after the summer.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid also welcomed the drawdown, but said it wasn't enough. The coalition, he said, should leave immediately.
"Western governments must realize their baseless war in Afghanistan had no benefit for them," Mujahid said.
"Thousands of their soldiers were killed, disabled or faced psychological problems. Billions of dollars were spent, which affected their economies. Their people are faced with poverty and other problems.
"Now it is time for America and all other countries to put an end to this baseless war in Afghanistan and withdraw their troops."
Meanwhile, a NATO air strike killed 10 civilians, mostly women and children, Afghan officials said yesterday.
Karzai "strongly condemns the NATO airstrike in Shigal district which killed 10 civilians," the presidential palace said in a statement.
"Condemning the raid, he once again reaffirmed his long-standing stance that terrorism does not exist in Afghan homes and villages, and the fight there will not yield any successful result."
NATO forces said they were investigating the claims of civilian deaths.
The civilians were killed by a NATO airstrike during an overnight raid on a Taliban hideout in a remote eastern region, local officials said.
"Five children, four women and a man were killed," Kunar provincial governor Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi said.
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