Hamid Karzai Warns West: Hands off Afghan internal Affairs

Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 10:25 am under Afghanistan News Hamid Karzai Warns West: Hands off Afghan internal Affairs

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the international community should respect the honor of his country and avoid meddling in its internal affairs.

His warning came in the presence of NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at a joint news conference Wednesday.

Karzai, whose government continues to receive aid worth billions of dollars and thousands of troops from the West in its fight against Islamist terrorism, said the job of the international community was to support the Afghan people, security and reconstruction.

Seeking another term at the presidential polls due in August, he said the donor-nations should avoid supporting some leaders in the election.

Afghanistan would neither allow itself to become a tribal state nor be a puppet in the hands of others, he added.

The NATO chief pledged the alliance’s complete support to Kabul for the elections, adding that 4,000 more troops would be needed to ensure security during that period.

NATO forces would take utmost care to avoid civilian casualties in military operations, he told reporters.

Scheffer admitted that the NATO was struggling to augment the strength of Afghan security forces to enable them control the security situation in the country without the help of foreign troops.

Written by: M UZAIR ASHRAF

President Hamid Karzai Registers For Afghan Poll
Kabul: Afghan President Hamid Karzai officially registered on Monday to stand for re-election and named...

Hamid Karzai welcome change in US strategy for Afghan and Pakistan
KABUL: President Afghanistan Hamid Karzai has welcomed the new strategy for military operation in the...

Afghans Want Rules For Troops Changed: Hamid Karzai
KABUL: Afghanistan's president says he wants new rules for U.S.-led forces in his country and is willing...

Afghan President Hamid Karzai orders probe into civilian deaths
KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered an investigation into a U.S.-led coalition airstrike...

Grab this Widget