President Hamid Karzai''s government has demanded a review of the presence of U.S. and NATO troops in the country amid allegations that large numbers of civilians have died in raids and airstrikes by foreign forces in recent weeks.
In a harshly worded statement released Monday, the government ordered its ministries of foreign affairs and defense to review the presence of foreign troops, regulate their presence with a status of forces agreement and negotiate a possible end to "air strikes on civilian targets, uncoordinated house searches and illegal detention of Afghan civilians."
The statement appears to be aimed at both international forces operating in Afghanistan: the U.S.-led coalition, which conducts special forces counterterrorism operations and trains the fledgling Afghan army and police, and the U.N.-mandated NATO-led force tasked to provide security for the war-ravaged nation.
Capt. Mike Windsor, a spokesman for the NATO-led force, said they have seen media reports but have not received "any official notification so far."
"NATO''s ... mission is based on a UN mandate and carried upon the invitation of the Afghan government," Windsor said. There was no immediate comment from the U.S.-led coalition.
The government''s decision follows a weekend clash and airstrikes in western Afghanistan, in which Afghan officials say some 90 civilians, including women and children, were killed.
Tajikistan to accelerate migration document approvals during CIS chairmanship
Rahmon will address a joint meeting of both chambers of parliament on December 28
The growth outlook for Tajikistan raised from 6.5% to 7.3% this year, says ADB report
Social assistance in Tajikistan
Tajikistan needs money—a lot of money
‘I see a link between the lack of women in public sphere and violence’ says German ambassador to Tajikistan
Suicide bomb kills Taliban minister for refugees and repatriation in Kabul
State Duma tightens rules for Russian-speaking foreigners
Russian parliament passes law banning migrants' children without Russian language proficiency test from school enrollment
Tajik geologists discover 15 areas rich in rare metals
All news
Авторизуйтесь, пожалуйста