Karzai: US, NATO Fueling Insecurity in Afghanistan

Says US Behavior Hasn't Changed Since 'Strategic Partnership' Pact

In an interview with NBC today, Afghan President Hamid Karzai noted that the US and NATO occupation is fueling the continued insecurity in Afghanistan, while appearing to express regret for having signed a deal keeping US forces in the nation through 2024.

“We signed the strategic partnership agreement with the expectation and the hope … the nature of the United States’ activities in Afghanistan will change,” Karzai said, adding that the US “continues to violate Afghan sovereignty” despite the deal.

Karzai’s list of complaints included long-standing disputes, including annoyance that the US appears to continue to believe it can win the war with attacks on Afghan villages, and the US refusal to follow through on the pledged handover of Bagram Prison.

The US has continued to express irritation with Karzai, insisting he is insufficiently grateful for the ongoing occupation and spends too much time complaining about the massive death toll of the war.

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.