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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Jim Miklaszewski joins Lester Holt to discuss the latest on Afghan President Hamid Karzai order that U.S. forces be removed from Wardak province over allegations of torture and disappearances.
Ahmad Jamshid / AP, file
Afghan President Hamid Karzai addesses military officers in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has ordered that all U.S. special forces must leave Wardak province, just west of Kabul, within two weeks — citing allegations of disappearances and torture.
In a statement Sunday, a spokesman for Karzai said, "after a thorough discussion, it became clear that armed individuals named as U.S. special force stationed in Wardak province engage in harassing, annoying, torturing and even murdering innocent people."
Karzai's office cited a "recent example" in which nine people allegedly "disappeared" and a separate incident where a student was taken from his home in the middle of the night and whose tortured body was found two days later under a bridge with his throat cut.
U.S. defense officials strongly deny that military personnel condoned, or were involved in, any kidnappings, torture or murders of Afghan civilians or suspects.
In addition to demanding the U.S. pull out in two weeks, Karzai also demanded the immediate cessation of all international special forces operations in Wardak.
Military officials told NBC News that Karzai's order came as a total surprise. The province is one of the hottest combat zones in Afghanistan and is a strategically important area because it is seen as the gateway the Taliban uses to carry out attacks in Kabul, the war-torn nation's capital.
In response, International Security Assistance Force, which coordinates the multinational coalition in Afghanistan, said "the U.S. Forces Afghanistan is aware of the reporting of presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi's comments today. We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and go to great lengths to determine the facts surrounding them."
The ISAF declined to comment further until they've "had a chance to speak with" senior officials in the Afghan government.
In their statement, the Afghan government noted that "Americans reject having conducted any such operation," but also noted "that such actions have caused local public resentment and hatred."
President Barack Obama announced during his State of the Union address earlier this month that 34,000 American troops -- about half of the total U.S. force in Afghanistan -- will leave the country by the end of this year.
NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube contributed to this report
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We need to take out Karzai on our way out the door. This guy is the biggest crook. He's willing to skim $billions of US taxpayer money for himself while not bothering to thank the US for anything; rather he blames the US for everything. I don't understand why we put up with this totally ineffective two-bit demigod.
what the hell are you talking about, our goverment is as corrupt as any out there. why wont you get your own corrupt goverment straight before worrying about another country? " you dont understand why we put up with karzia" the crooks over here put him and keep him in power because they need him to allow them to get the pipeline built and the minerals out of that country. you need a new news source.!
It all would have been over years ago (my guess by 2003) if not for starting the Iraq War on lies which made us fight and spread our military out to TWO wars at once (never in history have we done that).
uh... BILLY - WWII?
Two fronts but basically one defensive war against a common enemy alliance in the thee axis power -plus both were defensive fronts we did not start, we were attacked by both first (our civilian ships by th Germans remember).
technically, The GERMANS declared war on US FIRST. we merely reciprocated (and proceeded to kick their miserable asses)
His comments are so peculiar, as his life expectancy is timed exactly until two minute after ISAF pulls out.......
., "Yank", quick question for you, "bud": have you ever worn the uniform and served in a combat support group, with women, under fire? If you have, what you opine can be taken at "face value", based on your direct experience, no more and no less. If you haven't, you'd do well, and do us all a merciful favor, especially our brave women in uniform who've returned home, "shot-to-hell": women, I might add, who are obviously your "betters" by a long-shot, if you'd simply "cut" the BS and STFU!
#5.5 - Sun Feb 24, 2013 11:40 AM CST
pipeline done, central bank setup done, taiban trained to protect it,karzi the puppett(he works for the oil company) jobs done and it is time to leave-
the Bell will toll
A lot of oil in Afghanistan?
Iran to China pipeline
Enough is enough. We should just pull all of our forces out now.
wrong place
Once we depart, a well placed Nuke could solve the problem and improve the gene pool in the area.
and if we work it right, we can even blame it on the Indians...
Get our people out of there, and let them kill each other as they have for hundreds of years without our interferrance.I don't believe our people did this, and that the allagations are false, of course I wouldn't believe them if they said the sky was falling. I don't trust any of them. Here we are stretching our resources thin trying to help those people and they spit in our face. Bring our people home, the hell with afganistan.
Are we learning what Russia learned, that Afghanistan is impossible to bring into the civilized world. We have spent billions of dollars, with many American lives lost, over many years now and the Talliban still controls much of the country and even much the people's minds, possible even with the tolerence of weak political leaders. We can't continue as we are and we can't let the country, as we can't several other third world countries, become a sanctuary for uncivilized radicals, with aggressive egos, to strike out from against the civilized world. What are we to do? If we abandon these efforts, then likely we will have to come back in full force and many more lives, on both sides and including innocents, will be lost. The answers are not easy and politics always seems to make tough challenges even tougher.
BigBearcat
bill....ever hear of World War Two, where we were fighting in Europe and Asia??????
Well it looks like Karzai is standing at the door holding it open and waving us out. I submit that we should take him up on this invitation and gather all our marbles and our duffel bags of money as well as all our hardware make a one way road trip across the nearest friendly boarder then home for good. Let this backward country that refuses to move into the current century have it their way. If we have future problems with terrorists in Afghanistan just have our drone pilots’ deal with it and endanger no more of our people.
The sooner we are out and the sooner whatever government takes control of the country.....
The sooner they will have institutions, facilities, and fixed military assets which can be taken out by conventional means.
The United States has had -zero- ability to fight and win an unconventional war since 1781.
Remember how long it took us to drive them out of power originally?
Next time they act up...take out their assets and let somebody else pick up the pieces.
We're in a war and the enemy just tells us to leave and we probably will. Cause we are actually very weak and pathetic.
Why America puts up with these retards is stupid, stop all aid to these Idiot people like Karzi the tripple headed "SNAKE"
It's time we to pull our troops out and let Karzai either sink or swim. Bet he'll be dead within a week.
That's it, nothing else is required. This puppet "DICK"tator is our enemy (Hell they're ALL our enemies). I think the President should go Karzai one better and not just remove the special ops from one region, but remove EVERY AMERICAN SOLDIER, ADVISOR, AND OPERATIVE from the ENTIRE COUNTRY! NOW!
Karzai's head will be on the end of a Taliban lance within a month...
He wants us to leave the province?
Fine.
Bye.
The Time Is Now. Lets Get The US Out Of The War Business.
I say leave the place in his hands tomorrow. Buy down the National debt with what we would have spent on military and what we do spend with their people. He'll be screaming for support so quickly and blaming us anyway so.... Karzai is part of the bad guys.
Karzai must be sucking up to the Taliban so that he can keep his head once they retake control of the country. With friends like Karzai no one needs to have enemies. He is the enemy.
Just pull out all our troops now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So.....what else is new.....patriot act.....says we can torture and kill our own....
Karzai is a Scumbag,always was and always will be...
Another Obama, Hillary Clinton foreign policy "triumph"! Yet we keep pouring money IN! Here's a place to sequester funds!
Hamid Karzai had a National Security Session with the provincial governors of Maidan- Wardak and Logun told of their complainsts against US Special Forces and paid and led armed Afghan men as parallel to ISAF/Afghan National Forces. The latest expulsion of all US Special Forces within 2 weeks from the previnces west of Kabul. The summa summarum- Karzai:" This will complicate negotiations over Bilateral Security Agreement with US."- ISAF/NATO press conference tomorrow at 11 a.m. (http://www.isaf.nato.int/). You can read all the latest from TOLOnews.com (24/7 Afghanistan news ) http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/9565-karzai-orders-expulsion-of-us-special-forces-from-wardak/ Whom did Karzai see or speak to prior to this latest blame game? Where is President Obama/Secr. of Defense/Secr. of State response?