Afghan Govt Backs Off Demand for US to Leave Wardak Province

NATO General: New 'Deal' Means 'Business as Usual' in Wardak

In what Afghan officials are laughably calling a “deal” on their demand for US special forces to withdraw from the Wardak Province, a statement of agreement has been released which will underscore the presence of such troops across virtually the whole province for the foreseeable future.

British Lt. Gen. Nick Carter, the second-in-command for the NATO occupation, said the agreement means NATO forces would be reduced in a single district of Wardak, and that “elsewhere in Wardak, it’s business as usual.” The agreement states a withdrawal will happen “eventually,” with no dates set at all.

This won’t set well with locals, who have been complaining for months that US and NATO troops have been committing human rights abuses, kidnapping civilians, torturing detainees and even murdering people in detention.

The announcement reflects the reluctance of the Karzai government, despite its willingness to criticize US abuses, to actually stand firm on the demands when NATO pushes back and refuses.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.