Karzai wants war on terror taken to Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan

By
anjum
-
15
196

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said the war on terror did not need to be fought in Afghanistan but in the sanctuaries in Pakistan and Afghanistan that were sheltering the Taliban.
In an interview with the Times of India, Karzai hoped that with the re-election of US President Barack Obama, they would have a frank discussion to find an answer to the question. “I hope that now with the re-election of President Obama, we will be sitting down for a frank conversation so we can find answers to these questions. The war on terror cannot be fought in Afghanistan because it isn’t in Afghanistan. It has to go to the sanctuaries. Those sanctuaries are in Pakistan… and in Afghanistan wherever they are.”
“It is no longer a secret,” Karzai said, adding, “and (even) Pakistan doesn’t deny that any more. The region is infested with terror sanctuaries”. Karzai said this had been conveyed to the US repeatedly, and also at times through the media.
Asked if he was disappointed by Obama’s first term insofar as US’s promises to Afghanistan were concerned, Karzai said, “We have issues with the US and we want them addressed and while we are addressing these issues, we also want the transition to Afghan security forces completed in time in 2013 and the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan by 2014.”
The Afghan president said the Americans never had the immunity to raid and search Afghan homes “but this will become simply impossible after 2014”. He said the issue he was willing to respect was a strategic partnership with the US signed about eight months ago. Karzai said he did not believe that foreign troops had brought peace. “That is the contention that we have with the US. They have not brought security to Afghan lives, rather they have caused serious pain to the Afghan people.”

Pakistan protests Afghan cross-border shelling

Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani on Monday said Pakistan had serious reservations over the cross-border shelling and militant infiltration from Afghanistan. Talking to media representatives on the occasion of inauguration of a two-day regional anti-narcotics ministerial level conference in Islamabad, Jilani said the conference was important to address the narcotics issue in the region. He said with mutual cooperation of regional countries, the menace of narcotics could be brought to an end. “Afghan Peace Council chief Salahuddin Rabbani’s visit to Pakistan is of great significance for the success of the reconciliation process in Afghanistan,” the foreign secretary added. Ministers of Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Russia and Uzbekistan are expected to attend the conference.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

15 COMMENTS

  7. Brothers please behave yourself. we should accept the truth, even if it is written/said against us.

  10. President Karzai is posturing. He has discovered rather late that foreign troops cannot bring peace to his country. Why take USA to task when you can blame your friendly neighbour next door. Yes i do not deny we have militants across the border but to call them sacturies is a bit going over the top. Why not mention in the same breath that Pakistan has been giving refuge to millions of afghan refugees over thirty years. To make such statements in New Delhi amounts to contempt for pakistan. I do understand you studied in Simla. Is this a way of saying thank you to India.I thought we were joined at the hip –may be but not mentally. Pakistan has to be whipped as usual.

  11. Karazai handover Fazalullah to Pakistan and solve ur problems urself. Think of Pakistan when u have some foothold in Afghanistan. At the moment u r just in Kabul

Comments are closed.