Afghan forces to take control in seven areas: Karzai

President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday that his security forces will soon take charge of securing seven areas around Afghanistan - the first step toward his goal of having Afghan police and soldiers protecting the entire nation by the end of 2014.
In a speech peppered with criticism of the international effort, Karzai said the provincial capitals of Lashkar Gah in southern Afghanistan, Herat in the west, Mazer-e-Sharif in the north and Mehterlam in the east are slated for transition from Nato-led forces to Afghan soldiers and police beginning in July.
In addition, all of Bamiyan and Panjshir provinces, which have seen little to no fighting, are on the transition list. Also slated for transition is Kabul province except for the restive Surobi district, which is along a main route to the Pakistan border and in proximity to dangerous areas of neighbouring provinces, he said. "The Afghan nation doesn't want the defence of this country to be in the hands of others anymore. This is our responsibility to raise our flag with honour and pride," Karzai told hundreds of dignitaries and Afghan police and soldiers at the National Military Academy of Afghanistan in the capital.
The Nato forces currently in the lead or partnered with Afghan forces in these areas will thin out, take on support roles such as training and mentoring, redeploy to other areas or go home. Karzai also struck a nationalistic chord in his speech, reiterating his call for the Taliban to join the peace process. He complained about the international community, saying its development effort in Afghanistan was disjointed and night raids, civilian casualties and irresponsible arrests have bolstered the insurgency.
Karzai said the international community should provide financial assistance for vital infrastructure projects even as he argued that the provincial reconstruction teams, meant to train government officials and assist their activities at the local level, should be phased out.
In Brussels, Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed Kirzai's announcement. "This represents the next stage of Afghanistan's journey, not the destination," he said in a statement. "And every step of the way will be determined by conditions on the ground."