Hamid Maybe I'll join the TalibanKarzai
... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a
Pashtunface on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use...
on Tuesday announced that security transition to Afghan lead will go as planned.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony of high military academy officers, President Karzai said areas set for the first phase of transition will include Kabul (without Sorubi district), Panjshir, Bamyan, Helmand, Balkh and Laghman as well as Herat city (without its districts).
While it's difficult to take over full security responsibility, establish good governance and carry on reconstruction, security transition is an irreversible and certain thing that should be done, President Karzai said.
Karzai said reviews of other parts of the country are in progress for security transition.
He called for an immediate end to operations by institutions parallel to Afghan government including provincial reconstruction teams and urged foreign forces to stop illegal detention of Afghan citizens.
"There are numerous UN organisations operating in Afghanistan that the government is not fully aware of. And their expenses and the way they are operating are not acceptable to us".
Security transition to Afghan forces depends on implementation of commitments made in Kabul International Conference last year, Karzai said.
He hinted on Afghan-US enduring partnership and said a jirga (Afghans traditional gathering of tribal elders) will soon be held to discuss lasting relations between the US and Afghanistan.
He said all those fighting against the Afghan government are not Taliban fighters. Mr Karzai has urged the Taliban to stop killing civilians.
Mr Karzai underlined improvement of relations with neighbouring countries, but called for a definite support of neighbours, especially Pakistain, for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Provincial security officials in eastern Herat province have shown signs of readiness for the security handover.
People in the areas where the first steps of security handover will be taken have welcomed Karzai's announcement on security transition process.
Experts say Afghan cops wouldn't be able to maintain security until they are not properly equipped with modern arms.
For a smooth transition, international community should concentrate on building up capacities of Afghan cops until 2014.
"All the military logistics, equipment and facilities that foreign forces have should be provided to Afghan forces so that they stand on their feet and grow the potential to defend their nation," Shah Nawaz Tanai, former Afghan defence minister under Dr Najibullah's regime, said.