NATO seeks new deal with Karzai government

THE STANS

Afghanistan to probe deaths of nine civilians
Afghan President Hamid Karzai Thursday ordered an investigation into the deaths of nine civilians killed by a rocket attack in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province. His statement did not accuse anyone of firing the rocket, but the NATO-led force in Afghanistan said separately it launched a surface-to-surface rocket near Babaji against nine people believed to be involved in planting bombs. "President Hamid Karzai... strongly condemned the attack which killed nine civilians in Helmand," his office said, ordering a "rapid" investigation.

The NATO-run International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said it was investigating reports that those killed were civilians. Civilian casualties are a sensitive issue in Afghanistan where more than 100,000 troops under NATO and US command are fighting a Taliban insurgency, now at its deadliest since the 2001 US-led invasion toppled their regime. "ISAF can confirm... a single surface-to-surface rocket strike took place near Babaji village in Lashkar Gah against a group of nine individuals whom were believed to be involved in emplacing an IED (improvised-explosive device). "ISAF forces were not aware of any civilians in the vicinity at the time of the strike.

Only those involved in the IED emplacement were targeted," it said in a statement. The incident occurred Wednesday. "ISAF takes all credible allegations of civilian casualties very seriously and investigates each allegation to determine the facts," a spokeswoman said. "If any civilians were injured through our actions we deeply regret it." Dozens of people protested against the strike, parading bloodied bodies of the victims through town earlier in the day. The mob shouted anti-American slogans and said the dead were all civilians, including children hit near their corn farms.

NATO commander criticises UN Afghan staff evacuation
The German general commanding NATO forces in Afghanistan on Thursday criticised the United Nations decision to evacuate more than half its international staff based there. "I have just heard that the UNAMA (UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) is going to withdraw personnel from Afghanistan,"

General Egon Ramms told journalists at the Innich command bunker on the Dutch-German border. "I am not very satisfied," he said. "By withdrawing personnel from Afghanistan it will not be able to reach the progress and success we need," he said after the UN said it would relocate 600 expatriate staff following a deadly Taliban attack on a UN guesthouse. "The clock is ticking against us -- support of the population is decreasing," the general said. "In 2005, 80 percent of the population supported us, now it is only 52 percent."

"Reconstruction and security rely on each other," Ramms said, stressing the importance of civilian and military cooperation in rebuilding the war-ravaged country. The UN stressed after its decision to evacuate that it had no intention of abandoning Afghanistan, where 100,000 US-led troops are deployed as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). This year has been the deadliest in an eight-year anti-insurgency campaign being fought by NATO and US-led forces.

by Staff Writers
Brussels (AFP) Nov 6, 2009
The international community will seek fresh agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai's new government, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen told AFP, warning that the administration would have to prove it was credible.

The alliance's Secretary General said a British-French-German initiative for an international conference on Afghanistan early next year was "an obvious step in the right direction."

Such a meeting would be a chance to renew "the contract between the international community and the government in Kabul," he said.

Rasmussen said NATO would remain in Afghanistan for as long as necessary to secure its own interests and prevent the country becoming a sanctuary for extremists intent on attacking the West.

"First and foremost we are in Afghanistan to secure the country and take care of our own security. If we left Afghanistan behind, it would allow once again that country to be a haven for terrorists," he said.

Now the international community "needs to know who we would deal with in Kabul now that presidential election process has ended," he added.

The NATO chief congratulated Karzai on his election win, which came after a disputed first-round vote followed by the withdrawal of his main rival Abdullah Abdullah.

However he said that the new administration must show itself to be a worthy partner.

"We have to make sure that this is a strong government, a credible government, a government that will deliver basic services to Afghan people," the NATO chief said.

He urged patience when questioned on tackling Afghan government corruption.

"Our mission will end when the Afghans are capable of taking care of their own country," he said.

To that end the NATO chief underlined the need for "contributions to our mission in Afghanistan... I have stressed the need for trainers to make sure our training mission in Afghanistan will be fully equipped," he insisted.

The former Danish prime minister said he could understand that US President Barack Obama needed to take his time to consider whether to send more American reinforcements to the country, calling it "a reflection of the difficulty" of the situation.

General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, has spoken of the need for up to 40,000 extra US troops.

Debate has been raging in Washington where there are differences on the way to proceed.

"I always urge allies to step up their contributions," said Rasmussen, with a nod towards Europe as well as the United States.

"It is of utmost importance that the Europeans consider how they can contribute to the mission in Afghanistan and in particular the need for a training mission in Afghanistan," he stressed.

The question is likely to arise at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on December 3-4.

So far only Britain has promised more troops, 500 under certain conditions. France, Germany, Italy and Spain have so far promised no more extra troops.

"I think that all capitals are right now considering what is the best way forward," said Rasmussen, adding that he expected a decision "in the coming weeks."

Rasmussen dismissed the idea that NATO's very survival depends on its success in Afghanistan, the biggest operation in its history.

"It is not make or break," he insisted while admitting that the Afghan conflict was "a test case for NATO's capability to address the new threats of today."

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THE STANS

West's Afghan exit strategy in question
Kabul (AFP) Nov 5, 2009
A manhunt was under way Thursday for a rogue Afghan policeman with suspected Taliban links who killed five British soliders, fuelling doubts about the West's exit strategy from Afghanistan. The incident confirmed fears that Taliban militants have infiltrated the Afghan security forces, potentially undermining law and order at a time when security across the country is rapidly deteriorating. ... read more

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