President Karzai denounces ‘deadly US air strike’
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai shake hands at the end of their press conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, on March 25, 2013.
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday condemned a US military strike that he claimed had killed a young child and two women, with his spokesman saying the attack reveals how US does not care about Afghan civilians.
"It shows that US forces have no respect for the decisions of the Loya Jirga (grand assembly) and life of civilians in Afghanistan," said Aimal Faizi, Karzai's spokesman. "They give no importance to the life of civilians. They are killing civilians like flies."
"If such operations continue, there will be no agreement," he added, referring to the bilateral security debate over the role US forces will play in Afghanistan after 2014.
The US, which has not commented on the incident, has suggested it is willing to take the "zero option," pulling all of its troops out of Afghanistan, if a deal is not reached by the end of the year.
However, Karzai has refused to sign a proposed deal, even though the Loya Jurga gave him approval. It appears he thinks the US will give in to his demands, which include sending Afghan prisoners in Guantanamo Bay back home.
Earlier this month the Afghan president criticized a US drone strike that had killed the leader of the Pakistani Taliban leader, as Islamabad suggested the attack could spoil scheduled peace talks.