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Karzai calls for end to night raids
Source: Agencies |
November 16, 2010, Tuesday
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THE top United States commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, was frustrated by the Afghan president's blunt call for a reduced military footprint in the country? a remark that threatens to undermine efforts to maintain international support for the?war at this week's NATO summit.
President Hamid Karzai said in an interview recently that he wanted the coalition to put an end to night raids, which cause friction between Afghans and foreign troops. These operations are a key part of Petraeus' strategy to rout insurgents, improve security and bolster governance and development.
NATO and diplomatic officials said Petraeus was frustrated by Karzai's °?remarks, which came just days before the NATO summit starts this Friday in Lisbon, Portugal.
Support for the war is waning in the capitals of troop-contributing nations and NATO officials hope to use the summit to convince heads of state that progress is being made, and that the effort should be supported.
They said NATO had received assurances that Karzai was on-board with the coalition's strategy and that international forces were working hard to address some of his concerns.
Karzai's spokesman, Waheed Omar, said the president has been "very clear about his confidence in General Petraeus" and that the situation had improved since the departure of retired US Army Genenral Stanley McChrystal.
"The president says the situation has improved since McChrystal left and further improved after the arrival of Petraeus," Omar said. "The president has once again made it clear that this is not a critique of the overall strategy."
He added that Karzai and Petraeus have a mature relationship and can freely express their views on how certain things can progress.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Karzai said the time had come to reduce military operations.
Karzai's remarks surprised a US lawmaker who visited Karzai last week.
"I'm just stunned," Senator Lindsey Graham, told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "To take the night raids off the table would be a disaster."
Graham said he met Karzai last week and he had never raised the issue of night raids.
President Hamid Karzai said in an interview recently that he wanted the coalition to put an end to night raids, which cause friction between Afghans and foreign troops. These operations are a key part of Petraeus' strategy to rout insurgents, improve security and bolster governance and development.
NATO and diplomatic officials said Petraeus was frustrated by Karzai's °?remarks, which came just days before the NATO summit starts this Friday in Lisbon, Portugal.
Support for the war is waning in the capitals of troop-contributing nations and NATO officials hope to use the summit to convince heads of state that progress is being made, and that the effort should be supported.
They said NATO had received assurances that Karzai was on-board with the coalition's strategy and that international forces were working hard to address some of his concerns.
Karzai's spokesman, Waheed Omar, said the president has been "very clear about his confidence in General Petraeus" and that the situation had improved since the departure of retired US Army Genenral Stanley McChrystal.
"The president says the situation has improved since McChrystal left and further improved after the arrival of Petraeus," Omar said. "The president has once again made it clear that this is not a critique of the overall strategy."
He added that Karzai and Petraeus have a mature relationship and can freely express their views on how certain things can progress.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Karzai said the time had come to reduce military operations.
Karzai's remarks surprised a US lawmaker who visited Karzai last week.
"I'm just stunned," Senator Lindsey Graham, told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "To take the night raids off the table would be a disaster."
Graham said he met Karzai last week and he had never raised the issue of night raids.
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