U.S. ambassador denies allegation of helping militants 20:44, October 14, 2009
The United States Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry Wednesday denied allegation that the U.S. is supporting militants in the post-Taliban country.
"I have heard rumors about the U.S. is providing enemies of Afghanistan weapons, helicopters and other supports, these allegations are all baseless," Eikenberry said in a ceremony attended by Afghan parliamentarians and officials commemorating Afghan soldiers who lost their lives in the war against Taliban and al-Qaeda.
He noted that "We have never helped the terrorists who attacked our nation in September 2001 and killed our soldiers, your soldiers and innocent Afghan civilians every day."
The ambassador stressed the U.S. long term commitment in Afghanistan and said "we are here alongside of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to help protect Afghan people and ensure you never again live under a regime like one existed in September 2001 (Taliban regime)."
Moreover, Eikenberry stressed that "we would not keep our troops in Afghanistan (forever), we look to date when we could bring them home and leave Afghanistan to the hand of accountable government and the security to capable ANSF."
The speech of the top U.S. diplomat in Afghanistan came in the wake of U.S. president Barak Obama, in an unannounced move, approved sending of 13,000 more additional troops to combat Taliban insurgency in the war-torn country.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai and some officials alleged that anti-government militants had been airdropped by unknown helicopters to the relatively peaceful northern provinces to derail security there while the militancy-hit southern Afghanistan has seen increasing Taliban-led insurgency.
Source:Xinhua