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| Afghanistan |
| Karzai Visits Former Taliban Stronghold |
| 2010-03-08 |
| [Quqnoos] President Karzai has made his first trip Sunday to the southern Afghan town of Marjah, a former Taliban stronghold. The visit comes three weeks after thousands of NATO and Afghan forces have launched their biggest offensive to drive the Taliban out of Marjah and Nad Ali districts of Helmand province. The trip to Marjah -- a former hub for Taliban's narco trade -- comes a day after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid a surprise visit to Helmand to meet nearly 10,000 UK troops in the province. In an address to local people in Marjah, President Karzai urged tribal elders to support the Afghan government to avoid a return of the Taliban, said Quqnoos correspondent, Baryalay Rahimi, who accompanied Karzai to the district. Karzai called on local people to join the Afghan police force and help secure the area, a former Taliban spiritual stronghold in the volatile region. NATO's top commander in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal, Afghan ministers for Defence and Interior and the head of Afghan intelligence agency visited the district alongside with the president. |
| Posted by:Fred |