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Hagel, Karzai Press Conference in Kabul Cancelled
U.S. officials say security concerns forced the cancellation of a scheduled news conference Sunday in Kabul with U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.Authorities did not elaborate on the security issues, but a day earlier, two suicide bombings -- one in Kabul and the other in Khost -- killed 19 people. The bombing in Kabul targeted the Afghan Defense Ministry as Hagel was visiting the capital. The press conference cancellation is the latest event to mark Hagel's first visit to Afghanistan as the new Pentagon chief. Earlier Sunday, President Karzai accused the Taliban of being "at the service of America" by using attacks like the ones on Saturday to frighten Afghans into wanting foreign forces to remain in Afghanistan beyond the 2014 deadline. The top U.S. general in Afghanistan General Joseph Dunford sharply rebuked the president's comments by saying, "we have fought too hard over the past 12 years... shed too much blood... to ever think that violence or instability would be to our advantage." Posted by: tipper 2013-03-10 |
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