[An Nahar] Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday claimed victory in his latest dispute with the U.S. after accusing its special forces of abusing civilians in the key strategic province of Wardak.Well, okay. Zat mean they're gonna put up a statue of Hamid on a rearing horse, pointing his sword toward Mecca?
Karzai had demanded that the elite U.S. units leave the province, just outside Kabul. On Wednesday, a deal was stuck in which Afghan forces will take responsibility for security in Nerkh, one of Wardak's eight districts.
The agreement made no mention of special forces, and the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said that it was "business as usual" for its troops in the rest of Wardak.
It's almost like Kabuki theater...
President Hamid Karzai said he welcomed the announcement that coalition forces were preparing to pull out of the province, which is seen as critical for protecting Kabul from insurgent assaults.
"The decision for withdrawal follows repeated local complaints of harassment and annoyance by the American Special Forces, and a decision by the National Security Council as well as a presidential order," he said in a statement.