Kabul, July 25: Afghan President Hamed Karzai vows more control over US-led troops in a bid to limit civilian casualties inflicted by indiscriminate counterinsurgent attacks if he is re-elected.
Speaking at a campaign rally in the capital Kabul, Karzai said Friday that he would review agreements with foreign nations deploying troops in the war-ravaged country to make them operate with greater respect for the rights of Afghan citizens.
“It should be clear who is the owner of the house and who is the guest,” Afghan president said.
Karzai, a front-runner for the August 20 vote, touched the country’s most pressing issue –the growing number of civilian casualties in US-led operations– after he pulled out of a television debate on Thursday.
He said the status and the behavior of foreign troops need to be regulated.
Since the 2001 invasion, thousands of Afghan civilians have been killed in US-led attack on ill-confirmed militant hideouts, which has sparked national outrage in the country and has deteriorated relations between Kabul and Western powers.
Feelings against the US-led military presence in the war-torn country has aso been running high as foreign troops’ often raid on private homes and detain people without charges.
According to the United Nations, more than 2,000 Afghan civilians were killed throughout 2008. NATO, however, claims that only 200 civilians were killed by foreign troops last year.
During the campaign rally, Karzai also said that in order to bring about peace to the country he would hold negotiations with Taliban militants and other opposition groups and that he would devote more effort to law and order and to governance.
—-Agencies