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REGION: Karzai seeks swift NATO force extension

Friday, June 11, 2004

WASHINGTON: Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai called on Thursday for a swift deployment of NATO troops around his war-torn country, warning that lack of security could hamper polls scheduled in September.

Karzai spoke after 11 Chinese construction workers were gunned down in their sleep in northeastern Afghanistan Thursday in the worst attack on foreigners since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.

“The attacks that we have today, of course, are a source of concern for us and are a source of concern for the Afghan people but these attacks cannot and will not be able to derail the process that we have for stability and more peace in Afghanistan and institutionalization in the country,” he told CNN television. The US-backed Karzai hoped NATO, which commands more than 6,400 peacekeepers stationed mainly in Kabul but also in the northern city of Kunduz, would extend its presence around the country ahead of the crucial elections.

“We hope that the NATO deployment, which is being considered, will take place before elections in parts of the country where we do not have enough security forces,” said Karzai, who had attended a meeting with G8 leaders wrapping up a three-day summit on Sea Island off the coast of Georgia. Karzai acknowledged that voting would be hampered if security went out of control.

“If we do not provide the Afghan people with an environment of free voting and free choice of their candidates to vote for, definitely the Afghan people will have difficulties in casting their vote in the manner that they like,” he said.

Karzai said the violence was the work of “terrorists” and others who did not want Afghanistan to hold elections, pledging that polls would not be postponed. afp

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