Energy News  
Afghan forces to take charge of Kabul security: ministry

File image of Kabul courtesy AFP.
by Staff Writers
Kabul (AFP) Aug 13, 2008
The Afghan army will this month take charge of security in Kabul in the first such handover from the NATO-led force that arrived in 2001, the defence ministry said Wednesday.

The move, to be marked with a ceremony on August 28, will bring little visible change in the capital but is a symbolic acknowledgement of the growth of the Afghan defence forces, officials said.

"The security responsibility of the capital, Kabul, will be handed to the national army and Afghan security forces on August 28," a statement from the defence ministry said.

"This move is the beginning of Afghan security forces taking responsibilities of security from NATO which, with the further growth of the forces, will expand all over Afghanistan."

The Afghan army was destroyed during the civil war of the early 1990s and subsequent rule of the Taliban from 1996 to 2001.

The US-led forces that invaded in late 2001 and ousted the Taliban regime for harbouring Al-Qaeda have been helping to rebuild the army, which now numbers about 70,000 soldiers for a population of between 26 and 30 million.

The Afghan army already takes the lead in some operations and commanders of the nearly 70,000 international troops in the country aim to steadily hand over more responsibility.

"There are a number of NATO troops currently responsible for Kabul security," ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi told AFP.

"They are patrolling the city. Once the handover takes place, we'll take those responsibilities," Azimi said.

There is already a heavy police presence in the city, with dozens of checkposts.

Azimi told reporters at the weekend the handover would see international troops involved in military operations leave the city.

"But those involved in training Afghan security forces, with logistics, or with administrative issues, they will remain in Kabul," he said.

There are also no immediate plans to move the several military bases in the capital.

"When the full transfer of leadership will take place, it will not be immediately obvious," NATO spokesman Mark Laity said at the weekend.

"What will happen will be vital, the Afghans taking full charge of Kabul, but on the streets, it will not look so different," he said.

"It's rather a symbolic move showing that we're growing," an Afghan security official agreed, asking anonymity.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
News From Across The Stans



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


US-led force kills eight civilians in Afghanistan
Kabul (AFP) Aug 12, 2008
Eight Afghan civilians held hostage by Taliban militants were killed in an air strike by US-led troops during a battle that also left 25 rebel fighters dead, the force said Monday.







  • ACCIONA Launches 180 MW Tatanka Wind Farm
  • Air Products' Mobile Hydrogen Fueler Technology Supports Hydrogen Tour '08
  • Johnson Controls To Improve Energy Usage At Oak Ridge National Labs
  • Walker's World: $200 oil is coming

  • Australia to back US-India nuclear pact with suppliers: Rudd
  • EDF says to raise stake in US Constellation Energy in nuclear field
  • Finnish nuclear agency probes safety procedures at new reactor
  • Babcock And Wilcox To Acquire Nuclear Fuel Services

  • Dutch town tests 'air-purifying' concrete
  • Scientists Search For Answers From The Carbon In The Clouds
  • Air Monitoring Helps Anticipate Possible Ecosystem Changes
  • Air Travelers And Astronomers Could Benefit From Atmospheric Turbulence Research

  • Old Growth Giants Limited By Water-Pulling Ability
  • Climate Change Caused Widespread Tree Death In California Mountain Range
  • Forest Survives Revolutionary War Better Than Modern Times
  • The Drivers Of Tropical Deforestation Are Changing

  • Mutant plants can boost yields, resistance: IAEA conference
  • Prince Charles warns of 'disaster' on GM food
  • CSIRO Enlisted To Avert Global Wheat Supply Crisis
  • Brazilian agriculture faces huge losses from climate change

  • GM to invest 445 mln dlrs in Thai auto plants
  • Volkswagen Participates In National Hydrogen Road Tour
  • Ultra Motor Introduces New Electric Bike To US Market
  • Mitsubishi's i MiEV Electric Vehicles Tested

  • NASA evaluates new wing sensor
  • Russia And China May Co-Design New Passenger Plane
  • China Southern Airlines managers take paycut due to oil prices
  • Air China says it is to buy 45 Boeing aircraft

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space
  • Nuclear Power In Space

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement