Karzai urges US to dismantle Pak based terror safe havens for success in ‘war on terror’

KABUL - Pointing fingers towards Pakistan, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has called on the United States to shift its focus on militants based outside his country to see substantial gains in the ‘war on terror, which he believes is going nowhere.

During a meeting with visiting US Central Command chief, General James Mattis, here, Karzai stressed that the US-led war in Afghanistan can not be won unless terror safe havens in the neighbouring country (Pakistan) were dismantled.

A statement issued by the Karzai’s office also quoted him as saying that reducing the number of civilian casualties during military operations would also help the US “to win” the war.

“The lack of progress in the war on terror has two factors: one, the terror sanctuaries have not been addressed and second, because civilians were killed during this war,” The Daily Times quoted the statement, as saying.

Karzai, who has the backing of the Obama administration, was also critical of President Obama’s decision to set July 2011 as the deadline to start the withdrawal of troops from the war tattered country.

During a separate meeting with US Congressmen, Karzai said that Obama’s announcement has boosted Taliban’s morale “to some extent.” (ANI)