KABUL ORDERS AMERICAN FORCES OUT OF TWO AFGHAN
PROVINCES
[For Fuelling 'insecurity and instability' in volatile regions]
Afghan President Hamid Karzai demanded on February 24, 2013 the withdrawal of US special forces from Wardak and Logar within two weeks, accusing them of fuelling 'in security and instability' in the volatile provinces neighbouring the Afghan capital Kabul.
"In (24th February's) national security
council meeting, President Karzai ordered the Ministry of
Defence to kick out the US special forces from Wardak and
Logar provinces within two weeks," said
Presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi.
The announcement would be another blow to the prestige of US-led forces as they prepare to withdraw combat troops from the war against Taliban Islamist insurgents by the end of next year.
The bulk of NATO's 100,000 troops are due to
leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014. A U.S. Forces
Afghanistan (USFOR-A) spokesman said he was aware of
the reported comments by Faizi. "We take all
allegations of misconduct seriously and go to great lengths
to determine the facts surrounding them, “he said.
“until we have had a chance to speak with
senior {Aghan} officials about this issue we are not in a position to comment
further. This is an important issue that we intend to fully discuss with our
Afghan counterparts.”
Relations
More than 3,200 NATO troops, mostly Americans,
have died in support of Mr. Karzai’s government in the war since the Taliban
were ousted by a U.S. invasion in 2001, but relations between the President and
the U.S. are often prickly.
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