By ROD NORDLAND
American officials reacted with anger and exasperation Saturday after President Hamid Karzai, in the midst of a grand council debating a long-term security agreement, publicly accused American special forces of killing civilians in a raid on an Afghan home.
The question of whether to ban such home raids had been the major sticking point in the proposed agreement, which sets the conditions for American troops to remain in Afghanistan after 2014, for up to 10 more years. The issue was resolved only after President Obama sent the Afghans a letter saying such tactics would only be used as a last resort to save American lives.
President Karzai read that letter to the opening of a loya jirga, a council called to ratify the agreement, and recommended its acceptance, while at the same time criticizing America as untrustworthy. The loya jirga is deliberating through at least Sunday.
On Friday night a statement was posted on the president’s website saying that Mr. Karzai “condemned in the strongest terms an operation of American soldiers that killed two innocent civilians.” Quoting the governor of eastern Nangarhar Province, Mr. Karzai said that “U.S. Special Forces raided a house of twin brothers in Bati Kot District on Tuesday, martyring both the brothers.” He described the two men as a mason and a plumber.
“While condemning this operation, President Karzai said that he has been asking for a halt in such operations on Afghan houses since many years and one of the reasons to convene the loya jirga is so they could take care to decide about raids on Afghan homes and other arbitary operations of American forces, as well as decide on the presence of their forces in Afghanistan,” the statement said.
A spokesman for the American-led International Security Assistance Forces, John D. Manley, denied there were any civilian casualties in the incident, which took place Tuesday, two days before the jirga began.
“Afghan national security forces and a coalition adviser engaged and killed two armed insurgents after being fired upon in Bati Kot District,” he said.
Coalition forces similarly denied Mr. Karzai’s assertion.
“Unfortunately some people are using allegations of civilian casualties for political purposes,” an ISAF official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as a matter of official policy. “The statement goes directly to asserting this was a unilateral operation,” the official said, referring to Mr. Karzai’s statement.
“It was not,” the official said. " It was Afghan-led with 100 Afghan National Security Force personnel and 17 coalition advisers.” The official noted that Mr. Karzai had linked the incident to the loya jirga.
U.S. officials worried about the impact of Mr. Karzai’s remarks.
“Misleading statements like this do not help in finalizing the Bilateral Security Agreement as soon as possible this year, which is essential to the future of Afghanistan and the confidence of the Afghan people,” a United States official here said, also speaking on condition of anonymity as a matter of policy.
Afghan officials were not backing down. “On this incident, the local people’s and local officials’ accounts differ from the one the U.S. military gives,” Aimal Faizi, a spokesman for Mr. Karzai, said on Saturday.
This is the second controversy to arise between the Americans and Mr. Karzai since the two sides announced Wednesday that they had reached a last-minute agreement on the wording of the security agreement, paving the way for it to be submitted to the loya jirga for ratification the next day.
During his opening speech before the council, Mr. Karzai announced that even if the council approved the agreement, he would not sign it until after the Afghan presidential elections, which are now scheduled for next April. American and NATO officials have responded that the agreement must be signed this year or there will not be adequate time to plan for the American military role in Afghanistan in 2014.
“We’re already way behind schedule,” the senior Western official said. “The Americans have made it clear there won’t be any agreement unless it is signed this year.”
On this issue too, Afghan officials signaled that Mr. Karzai did not intend to back down.
Mr. Faizi said that the Afghan president had spoken by telephone to the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday night about the timing of his signature on the security agreement. During what Mr. Faizi said was a long conversation, Mr. Kerry insisted on signing within one month, before the end of the year.
“President Karzai insisted on the Afghan stance that no more U.S. military operations” be carried out on Afghan homes, Mr. Faizi said.
He said the Afghan president would explain this position in his speech to the final day of the loya jirga, now scheduled for Sunday.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
U.S. Upset by Karzai’s Claim About Civilian Deaths
By ROD NORDLAND
American officials reacted with anger and exasperation Saturday after President Hamid Karzai, in the midst of a grand council debating a long-term security agreement, publicly accused American special forces of killing civilians in a raid on an Afghan home.
The question of whether to ban such home raids had been the major sticking point in the proposed agreement, which sets the conditions for American troops to remain in Afghanistan after 2014, for up to 10 more years. The issue was resolved only after President Obama sent the Afghans a letter saying such tactics would only be used as a last resort to save American lives.
President Karzai read that letter to the opening of a loya jirga, a council called to ratify the agreement, and recommended its acceptance, while at the same time criticizing America as untrustworthy. The loya jirga is deliberating through at least Sunday.
On Friday night a statement was posted on the president’s website saying that Mr. Karzai “condemned in the strongest terms an operation of American soldiers that killed two innocent civilians.” Quoting the governor of eastern Nangarhar Province, Mr. Karzai said that “U.S. Special Forces raided a house of twin brothers in Bati Kot District on Tuesday, martyring both the brothers.” He described the two men as a mason and a plumber.
“While condemning this operation, President Karzai said that he has been asking for a halt in such operations on Afghan houses since many years and one of the reasons to convene the loya jirga is so they could take care to decide about raids on Afghan homes and other arbitary operations of American forces, as well as decide on the presence of their forces in Afghanistan,” the statement said.
A spokesman for the American-led International Security Assistance Forces, John D. Manley, denied there were any civilian casualties in the incident, which took place Tuesday, two days before the jirga began.
“Afghan national security forces and a coalition adviser engaged and killed two armed insurgents after being fired upon in Bati Kot District,” he said.
Coalition forces similarly denied Mr. Karzai’s assertion.
“Unfortunately some people are using allegations of civilian casualties for political purposes,” an ISAF official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as a matter of official policy. “The statement goes directly to asserting this was a unilateral operation,” the official said, referring to Mr. Karzai’s statement.
“It was not,” the official said. " It was Afghan-led with 100 Afghan National Security Force personnel and 17 coalition advisers.” The official noted that Mr. Karzai had linked the incident to the loya jirga.
U.S. officials worried about the impact of Mr. Karzai’s remarks.
“Misleading statements like this do not help in finalizing the Bilateral Security Agreement as soon as possible this year, which is essential to the future of Afghanistan and the confidence of the Afghan people,” a United States official here said, also speaking on condition of anonymity as a matter of policy.
Afghan officials were not backing down. “On this incident, the local people’s and local officials’ accounts differ from the one the U.S. military gives,” Aimal Faizi, a spokesman for Mr. Karzai, said on Saturday.
This is the second controversy to arise between the Americans and Mr. Karzai since the two sides announced Wednesday that they had reached a last-minute agreement on the wording of the security agreement, paving the way for it to be submitted to the loya jirga for ratification the next day.
During his opening speech before the council, Mr. Karzai announced that even if the council approved the agreement, he would not sign it until after the Afghan presidential elections, which are now scheduled for next April. American and NATO officials have responded that the agreement must be signed this year or there will not be adequate time to plan for the American military role in Afghanistan in 2014.
“We’re already way behind schedule,” the senior Western official said. “The Americans have made it clear there won’t be any agreement unless it is signed this year.”
On this issue too, Afghan officials signaled that Mr. Karzai did not intend to back down.
Mr. Faizi said that the Afghan president had spoken by telephone to the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday night about the timing of his signature on the security agreement. During what Mr. Faizi said was a long conversation, Mr. Kerry insisted on signing within one month, before the end of the year.
“President Karzai insisted on the Afghan stance that no more U.S. military operations” be carried out on Afghan homes, Mr. Faizi said.
He said the Afghan president would explain this position in his speech to the final day of the loya jirga, now scheduled for Sunday.
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