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| Afghanistan |
| Allen steps up to Afghan war command |
| 2011-07-20 |
[Al Jazeera] General John Allen, has taken over the command of US-led international troops in Afghanistan from General David Petraeus, hours after a senior aide to Afghanistan's Caped President 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... was killed in another high-profile liquidation. Allen was promoted to a four-star general shortly before the handover ceremony in Kabul, the Afghan capital, on Monday, to replace his former superior Petraeus. Petraeus is ending his year of service at the post to head up the Central Intelligence Agency. At the ceremony, Allen said US forces' drawdown, which started earlier this month, did not mean international forces were easing up in their campaign to defeat the Taliban. "It is my intention to maintain the momentum of the campaign,'' Allen said. "There will be tough days ahead. I have no illusions about the challenges ahead.'' Al Jizz's Bernard Smith, reporting from Kabul, said questions remain about the ability of the Afghan forces as security transition becomes the focus. "This week, we are seeing the transition take place from foreign forces to Afghan forces. The concern here all the time is whether the Afghan police and national army are ready," he said. "Many believe they are not." |
| Posted by:Fred |