Afghanistan: Karzai wants security control now, not later

Give it to him.  We should have left Afghanistan long ago.  We have no plan, no direction and no defined outcome so it is past time to go.  There was never a real chance of any meaningful change there, and we waste resources each day we try to "win hearts and minds."

There is no doubt that once we leave the powers in Afghanistan will go back to doing what they do best; killing those seen as "not Muslim enough."


From AFP/Yahoo March 16

Afghanistan wants early takeover of security: Karzai

Afghanistan wants to take over control of the nation's security in 2013 not 2014 and for US troops to pull out of villages, President Hamid Karzai said Thursday, just days after a US soldier massacred 16 villagers.

Karzai told visiting US defence chief Leon Panetta that "Afghanistan is ready to take overall security responsibility", a statement from his office said.

"Our demand is that this process should be executed sharply and the responsibility should be handed over to to Afghans."

Karzai said both sides should work together so that the process of handing security from international troops to Afghan forces would be completed in 2013 rather than 2014, the statement said.

The president also wants the United States to pull all its troops out of villages, where they have outposts, and relocate them in their bases.

International forces should "be withdrawn from villages and relocated in their bases", the statement said.

Panetta's visit had been billed as an opportunity to smooth over relations with Afghan leaders, which took a severe knock when a US soldier allegedly massacred 16 villagers on Sunday and copies of the Koran were burnt last month.

Panetta said after the meeting he was "confident" the United States and Afghanistan would work out a treaty allowing a US military presence in the country beyond a pullout in 2014.

Bad idea, Leon.  Any troops left there after the official date will be easy targets for jihadists.  Unless you want their deaths on your hands, best leave the Afghanis to their own devices.

Panetta said he was optimistic that both sides would reach an agreement on night raids -- a major issue blocking the treaty -- ahead of a NATO summit in Chicago in May.