Karzai asks allies to destroy militant havens in Pakistan

KABUL (AFP) Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday urged his Western allies to destroy militant sanctuaries in neighbouring Pakistan after thousands of secret US files were leaked. The time has come for our international allies to know that the war against terrorism is not in Afghanistans homes and villages, Karzai told a news conference in Kabul. But rather this war is in the sanctuaries, funding centres and training places of terrorism which are outside Afghanistan. Whether we are able to destroy these sanctuaries or not is another question. We will try what we can... our international allies have this ability, but the question is why they are not doing it? His remarks came just two days after Afghanistans national security adviser, Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, called on the West to review policy towards Pakistan after leaked Pentagon documents. Karzai also condemned the release of information he said could endanger the lives of Afghan informants contained in files published by whistleblower WikiLeaks. I heard this yesterday... that names of certain Afghans who cooperate with the coalition NATO have been also revealed in these documents. This indeed is extremely irresponsible and shocking, he told the news conference. Because whether those individuals acted legitimately or illegitimately, by providing information to NATO forces, they are lives. And the lives are in danger now, he said. The Pentagon has also said that informants whose names appear in the documents have reason to fear for their lives. Karzai said releasing the names was an act that I cannot overlook. Well have to see names and the context in which those names are mentioned and then act according to this. It is a very serious issue. This was indeed the conversation we had just before the press conference... with concerns and worries that we have.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt