War should be fought against sanctuaries in Pakistan and Afghanistan: President Karzai

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.

Speaking to an Indian newspaper, he stated, “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.”

He further stated, “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 and and Pakistan doesn’t deny that anymore.”

He was of the opinion that the region was infested with terror sanctuaries, adding that this had been conveyed to the US repeatedly, and also at times through the media.

Replying to a query that if he was disappointed by Obama’s first term insofar as US’s promises to Afghanistan were concerned, the Afghan president replied, “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.”

Commenting about withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan, Karzai said that they do need their presence; in what form and under which conditions, they will find out. They have already set some conditions under the strategic partnership and have also put certain conditions in the security agreement, he added.

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Posted by Web Desk on Nov 13 2012. Filed under Pakistan, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.