E-Paper
More US troops welcome: Karzai
Amid reports that the US has quietly approved an additional deployment of some 13,000 troops to Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai today said more US troops are welcome in his country.
Amid reports that the US has quietly approved an additional deployment of some 13,000 troops to Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai today said more US troops are welcome in his country.
The Afghan President also agreed fully with the report of General McChrystal, the US and NATO Commander in Afghanistan, which seeks 40,000 additional troops.
"Yes, ma'am," Karzai told ABC's Good Morning America when asked if he welcomed more American troops to Afghanistan.
However, he refrained from giving any figure for the number of additional troops he would like to have in Afghanistan.
"What I'm concerned about is the protection of the Afghan people. What I'm concerned about is a successful implementation of our struggle against extremism and terrorism," he said.
"I have seen General McChrystal's report. I'm fully behind him for what he's seeking in his report, if that's what we can call," Karzai said when asked about the much debated report in the US right now.
His comments assume significance in the wake of reports that in an unannounced move, the White House has authorised -- and the Pentagon is deploying -- at least 13,000 troops beyond that number in Afghanistan.