Angry Karzai Submits List of Demands Ahead of US Surge

As high profile incidents of US and NATO forces killing Afghan civilians continue to rise, a furious Afghan President Hamid Karzai has submitted a list of demands to the United States meant to reduce unilateral actions by the international forces against Afghan civilians.

According to Karzai, “part of that list was that they shouldn’t, on their own, enter the houses of our people and bombard our villages and detain our people.” The US has not formally responded to the demands, but officials say they are reluctant to share plans of their attacks with the Afghan government for fear that they will tip off the targets.

Referencing the Khost killings, Karzai said he was concerned that the unnecessary detentions and killings were damaging the legitimacy of his government, and the unilateral actions where harming the rule of law in the nation, asking how the people of Afghanistan could trust the government “if their government cannot protect them.”