Foreign troops to stay till stability: Naeemi

KHOST CITY (PAN until its security situation had stabilised and warfare ceased.

Naeemi, who recently held talks with NATO troops, told a news conference in Khost City “foreign forces will not leave Afghanistan until the country is put on path to stability.”

About his meeting with NATO officials, Naeemi said it had been very productive, saying they discussed “various important issues”. However, he would not go into details.

The governor said foreign troops had assured him they would not abandon Afghanistan and would continue to support it.

He explained international troops would stop their operations in rural areas and decrease their activities in cities, but would continue supporting Afghan forces.

He believed Afghan forces had the ability to handle the security on their own, saying foreign troops’ presence was beneficial to the country’s development.

A top American Senator has said the United States may keep a force of 6,000 to 12,000 troops in Afghanistan after 2014, when Afghan forces will be responsible for security across the country.

“We are planning to keep a force of perhaps 6,000 to 12,000 after 2014 when all combat forces are to be out of Afghanistan,” Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said during a Congressional hearing.

A final decision in this regard is to be taken by President Barack Obama. He has not taken any decision so far.

“Almost 12 years later now, the war in Afghanistan is winding down as we prepare to hand over security responsibility to Afghan forces, and it appears that that country no longer serves as a safe haven for al-Qaida attacks against the US,” Levin said.

mds/ma

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