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Karzai expels US forces from Afghan province

Afghan government accuses US special forces in Maidan Wardak province of furthering “instability and insecurity”.

AlJazeera, 25 Feb 2013

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2013/02/2013224145944907284.html

Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, has ordered the withdrawal of US special forces from a restive eastern province in Afghanistan within two weeks. “This is an important issue that we must discuss with our Afghan counterparts – US statement

At a press conference in the Afghan capital on Sunday, Aimal Faizi, presidential spokesman, said US special forces were responsible for furthering “insecurity and instability” Maidan Wardak.

“In today’s [weekly] national security council meeting, Afghan President Hamid Karzai ordered the ministry of defence to kick out the US special forces from Wardak … within two weeks,” Faizi said.

Faizi said “misconduct” by people linked to the US special forces in Wardak included the beheading of a student and the capture of nine missing locals.

A US statement said it took all allegations of misconduct seriously.

But said the US could not comment specifically on this latest development “until we have had a chance to speak with senior government officials”, the statement by a spokesman for US special forces said.

“This is an important issue that we must discuss with our Afghan counterparts,” the statement said.

‘Suspicious force’

Photo: From the perspective of one neighbourhood in Herat

A statement issued by the national security council said “it became clear that armed individuals named as US special force stationed in Wardak province engage in harassing, annoying, torturing and even murdering innocent people”.

The statement points to two recent examples, the disapperance of nine people “in an operation by this suspicious force” and the disappearance of a student that officials say was found two days later with his throat cut under a bridge.

“Such actions have caused local public resentment and hatred,” the statement read.

Sunday’s announcement comes hours after two bombings targeting intelligence officials and police in Logar province, which was also mentioned as an area of concern during the weekly security meeting.

The ministry of defence has been assigned to insure that US special forces withdraw from Wardak within two weeks time.

The International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, told Al Jazeera’s Jennifer Glasse that they are “aware of the comments made by the spokesman in the press conference”.

Assuring that they talk “all allegations of misconduct seriously”, ISAF said they are engaging with the Afghans on this issue.