Afghan president accuses US forces of colluding with Taliban

[marmar]

(Guardian UK) Strained US-Afghan ties have suffered a fresh blow after newly appointed US defence secretary Chuck Hagel cancelled plans for his first joint news conference with the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, the second reminder of serious tensions in a brief visit to Afghanistan.

US officials cited security concerns, but the decision came just hours after the Afghan leader accused America of colluding with the Taliban to keep foreign troops on Afghan soil. Afghan officials said the presidential palace, where the men planned to meet the press, was totally safe.

"It doesn't make any sense," said one Afghan official, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to discuss the sensitive issue. "It was supposed to take place at the palace, we don't see any security problems there."

US officials said the decision was taken because security concerns were raised, and only after consultations with the Afghan government. ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/10/afghan-president-us-forces-taliban

[TwilightGardener]

1. Security concerns...or, more likely, Hagel doesn't want to make a joint media appearance

with a guy who's accusing the US of consorting with the Taliban.

[MADem]

2. Yep--Hamid seems to be playing both ends against the middle.

Not sure what he hopes to achieve.

[TwilightGardener]

3. He's got high visibility now, with the SecDef visit, and I've read that he already wasn't happy

about us not handing over the Bagram prison as planned (something to do with releasing prisoners). He's been making other inflammatory statements lately about the US aiding and abetting torture in at least one province. So I think it's just opportunistic political blather, but it's not helpful, obviously. We're already sick of that country and sick of his shit.