Afghan president urges military action in Pakistan

[RabzonKhan]

Karzai, We do not want to be the slaves or puppets of other countries," he said.

Classic! Look who’s talking.



Afghan president urges military action in Pakistan

By RAHIM FAIEZ – 4 hours ago

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — President Hamid Karzai said Sunday that airstrikes carried out in Afghan villages by U.S. and NATO troops are only killing civilians and that the international community should instead go after terror centers in Pakistan.

International forces serving under NATO and the separate U.S.-led coalition insist that the vast majority of those killed in air raids are militants. However, they also acknowledge that civilians are sometimes killed in bombing runs, though they accuse militants of firing on international troops from civilian homes they have commandeered.

Speaking under a tree on the grounds of the presidential palace, Karzai said the international community should take its fight across the border into Pakistan, where militants find safe havens in Pakistan's tribal region.

"The struggle against terrorism is not in the villages of Afghanistan," Karzai said. "The only result of the use of airstrikes is the killing of civilians. This is not the way to wage the fight against terrorism."

Afghan officials say U.S. or NATO airstrikes killed dozens of civilians in two incidents last month, including 47 people who were killed while walking to a wedding in the eastern province of Nangarhar on July 6.

Karzai's comments come the same day as Afghan officials announced that airstrikes and clashes in Kapisa province, north of the capital, killed more than 10 people Saturday. A defence ministry spokesman, Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, said those killed were militants.

However, provincial deputy governor, Rahimullah Safi, said 11 people were killed and all were civilians.

The NATO spokesman, Mark Laity, said there was no record of airstrikes in the Kapisa clash but that helicopters fired cannons at militants. Laity said NATO was still investigating but that "at present we do not believe" civilians were killed.

Karzai's criticism of U.S. and NATO airstrikes comes at a time when he appears to be making an increasing number of nationalistic appeals ahead of next year's presidential election. Karzai has indicated he plans to run.

However, Karzai's call for military action in Pakistan echoes the views of top NATO military leaders, who say that militants train, recruit and rearm in Pakistan's tribal areas.

Senior U.S. military officials say it will be extremely difficult to defeat the resurgent Taliban as long as militant sanctuaries exist on Pakistan's side of the border. U.S. and NATO troops have limited latitude to fight or pursue militants into Pakistan.

Karzai and his government have stepped up criticism in recent months of Pakistan's military-run intelligence service accusing it of directly supporting militants and of being behind the deadly July bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul.

Karzai said the Inter-Services Intelligence agency should "abandon the idea that the Afghan government will be under its control."

"We do not want to be the slaves or puppets of other countries," he said.

Top Bush administration officials are pressing the president to direct U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be more aggressive in pursuing militants into Pakistan on foot as part of a proposed radical shift in regional counterterrorism strategy.

Senior intelligence and military aides want President Bush to give American soldiers greater flexibility to operate against al-Qaida and Taliban fighters who cross the border from Pakistan to conduct attacks inside Afghanistan.

But any such move would be controversial, in part because of Pakistani opposition to U.S. incursions into its territory, and the proposal is not universally supported in Washington. It comes amid growing political instability in Pakistan.

Associated Press writers Amir Shah in Kabul and Noor Khan in Kandahar contributed to this report.

 

[BATMAN]

We wait how CEO of Pakistan respond to this open challenge.

 

[Munir]

Mr Gilani has nothing to say. The problem is that ISI uncovered CIA and RAW influence in Mehsud atacks. Now suddenly lots of negative remarks about ISI, Pakistan etc hit the fan. The problem is that the game is played very dirty and everyone is very much for destroying Pakistan. The politicans in Pakistan are not much better then thieves that want to get cash just before it falls... It is a shame.

 

[Cheetah786]

I would love to see a barbur cruise missile test going wrong and taking out a building in Kabul by mistake off course.

 

[Neo]

From Pakistan with Love

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Karzai can't really do any better - not only has he ridiculed NATO forces for doing little more than bombing civilians in Afghanistan, rather than insurgents, he then proceeds to advocate the same in Pakistan.

One wonders why NATO's patience with this lunacy, unless it is calculated lunacy of course, which it most likely is.

Whether the lunacy has US backing or not is another question.

 

[Skywalker]

AM,

Do you think Karzai have balls to come up with this statements, hes a coward living in the palace of kabul municipility corporation. Whatever he says its been dictated by his masters.

Well why do you think suddenly PA transformed into aggressive mood and going an all out operation in swat is just because they have credible evidence now and the only way is to eliminate that is to remove it from the roots and the root cause is just lying in thats part in the form of Mehsood, RAW, khad and CIA.

 

[Spring Onion]

Empty pots make more noise. But let the US/NATO forces attack Pakistan to unite us and then see where the NATO, US/ Karzai/Indian recruits will run for cover.

CIA thinks that by lashing Karzai for making him bark at Pakistan once again will help it in a situation where after failur CIA is trying to destroy ISI.

 

[batmannow]

From Pakistan with Love

Dear NEO, sir
.... thanks best picture i have ever seen in my...life.
i, guss its the time for pakistan to start thinking or, start planing destruction of popy crops INSIDE AFGHANISTAN. because as long as, this drug trade is going on situation in AFGHANISTAN & PAKISTAN cant be changed....... i think PAF is surly capable dropping some of OLD NEPAMS on the popy crops.

 

[IceCold]

I would love to see a barbur cruise missile test going wrong and taking out a building in Kabul by mistake off course.

Why mistake. We should urge the international community to stop this nonsense going on by Karzai or we will, infact it would be better if a couple of Ra'ads are fired by our jets on to Kabul and sent them a strong message that we too mean business, but then again who is going to take such a tough stance, the GOP or Mr.10% or that **** head NS who only sees impeachment as his top agenda. The only reason we have to hear these words is because GOP isn't doing anything. Just take the example of Russia how have they risen up when the need was there.

 

[pkpatriotic]

It's really amazing, that folly peoples threaten, who dont even have their own base
Ultimately Zalmay Khalilzad will be enough for him at all.
In fact Karzai now try to gain numbers as his masters are not satisfy at all, due to his corruption, lose political performance & poor governance.
He knew that, now he may be replaced by Zalmay Khalilzad in coming elections, as such he became idiotic rabid, barking just to perform his loyalty in front of his masters.

 

[Myth_buster_1]

It's really amazing, that folly peoples threaten, who dont even have their own base
Ultimately Zalmay Khalilzad will be enough for him at all.
In fact Karzai now try to gain numbers as his masters are not satisfy at all, due to his corruption, lose political performance & poor governance.
He knew that, now he may be replaced by Zalmay Khalilzad in coming elections, as such he became idiotic rabid, barking just to perform his loyalty in front of his masters.

Who is Zalmay Khalilzad does he have pro-pak stance? or just another replacement of a opium high puppet?

 

[pkpatriotic]

Who is Zalmay Khalilzad does he have pro-pak stance? or just another replacement of a opium high puppet?

Zalmay Khalilzad could be a nightmare to Karzai as his replacement in consequences.

But he wud be more problematic for Pakistan being a thorny and cunning diplomatic drama.
One of his previous drama during his posting in afghanistan during 2005, please check following link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/21/international/asia/21afghanistan.html

 

[GHATAK]

Though I do not support military action against the soverignity of Pakistan, the terrosist camps in Pakistan certainly need to be destroyed.

It is good to see that after heavy pressure from US, Pakistan is now go after these terrorists.

As long as terrorists get killed, its good for Pakistan and India and the whole south asian region.

 

[Munir]

If small terrorist groups should be eliminated then small minded arrogant nations should udnerstand that they should not terrorize people like India does in Kashmir. I think that India should leave Kashmir.