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| Afghanistan |
| Karzai Stalls Operations to Target Taliban |
| 2011-01-05 |
| [Tolo News] Afghan and foreign troops are under great pressures from President Karzai not to conduct large scale operations to target the Taliban, an Afghan official said. But Karzai's spokesperson said President Karzai is against offensives launched without coordination, leading to civilian deaths and destruction of grinding of the peace processor. An Afghan official said on condition of anonymity that from the very beginning President Karzai was trying to avoid foreign troops and Afghan cops to launch huge military operations against cut-thoats. In recent weeks, President Karzai has doubled pressures on both Afghan and foreign forces to prevent them from carrying out such operations, the official said. In Kandahar operation, Karzai had set the will of Kandahar residents as a condition and lessened achievements of the offensive. "It was said that we should take permission from locals before the operation begins. How can an operation be carried out with people's permission?," the official said. Karzai's Spokesperson, Wahid Omar, said: "President Karzai disagrees with the launch of operations without coordination, and against the will of people, especially night raids that claim civilian lives." The official told TOLOnews that still night raids are launched in some parts of the country. But night raids are carried out secretly to keep people unaware of the civilians' vulnerability in the offensives. The official said "Now Afghan and foreign forces have a very different potential compared to past years." During the winter season, if the forces are used properly and they apply huge pressure on the Taliban that would reverse cut-thoats' momentum in most parts of the country and may even make Taliban leave Afghanistan forever. Karzai's Spokesperson commented that the President does support some operations in which hard boyz are targeted. "President Karzai has no problem with operations in which hard boyz are targeted. Our army and police forces with the help of coalition forces launch such operations on daily basis," Mr Omar said. It is believed that the pressures are only to prevent damage to the grinding of the peace processor. An official in Afghan High Peace council said: "We urged that civilian casualties and night raids should be stopped. Military officials said special operations including night raids have been effective to hunt Taliban operatives and other cut-throats in the country. US special forces, divided into white and black sections, have been a great help in the counter-insurgency operations. US special operation forces related to black section take part in night time attacks and the white groups co-operate Afghan commando forces in day time operations. |
| Posted by:Fred |