Deal reached over Nirkh withdrawal
Thursday 21 March 2013
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EmailThe US military and the Afghan government reached a deal yesterday regarding the pullout of US special operations forces and their Afghan counterparts from a Wardak province after complaints they were involved in human rights abuses.
US military officials have denied the Afghan abuse allegations, which led President Hamid Karzai to demand the withdrawal of the US troops despite fears that such a move could leave the neighbouring capital Kabul more vulnerable.
The agreement calls for the US-led coalition to remove the special operations forces from Wardak's Nirkh district, the area where the abuses allegedly occurred.
They will then be replaced by Afghan army or national police.
The deal marks a symbolic victory for Mr Karzai, who has long complained that US special operations forces were outside his control.
The deal took more than three weeks for US and Afghan officials to agree, which was a week longer than the deadline initially set by Mr Karzai.
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