Afghanistan denies tacit deal with Russia
A senior Afghan official has denied a tacit understanding between Moscow and Kabul for military operations inside war-ravaged Afghanistan.
Hamid Karzai’s spokesman Waheed Omer says there is no accord allowing Russian military personnel to operate in Afghanistan. Omar also accused US-led foreign forces of violating the war-torn country’s sovereignty.
“Deploying four Russian agents in a military operation inside Afghanistan by NATO… violates the sovereignty of Afghanistan,” AFP quoted the spokesman as saying on Sunday.
The remarks come days after Russian and US forces raided drug labs in Nangarhar Province near the Pakistani border.
They reportedly destroyed USD 250 million worth of drugs. Russia’s anti-narcotics chief says his unit closely cooperated with his US counterpart’s to organize the raid, which Afghan President Hamid Karzai has severely criticized.
“Afghanistan condemns this act by NATO and announces that such unilateral operations are a clear violation of Afghan sovereignty as well as international law, and any repetition will be met by the required reaction from our side,” a statement from Karzai’s office said on Saturday.
“Such unilateral operations are a clear violation of Afghan sovereignty as well as international law, and any repetition will be met by the required reaction from our side,” it added.
There are currently more than 150,000 US-led foreign troops in Afghanistan. The US and its Western allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the pretext of the fight against terrorism.
The time of deployment and number of the Russian troops in Afghanistan is unclear.
Russian military involvement in Afghanistan has a long history. The Soviet Union invaded and occupied the country in 1979 but was forced to withdraw nine years later by Mujahedeen forces.
Some reports say the US and British forces are protecting poppy production in Afghanistan, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the world’s illicit opium and heroin.
Experts say the recent operation could be the result of a backdoor deal made between the Cold War rivals in recent months.
Under the deal, Moscow would withdraw its objection to the US-engineered missile shield project in Poland and the Czech Republic, in return for a greater role in the region.
