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NATO: Afghan Mission to Focus on Protecting People, Roads, Development

   NATO's top official has finished a two-day visit to Afghanistan, where
   he  pledged  that international forces are committed to staying in the
   country  until  the  Afghan  government and military are ready to take
   over.

   VOA News 22 December 2009
   NATO  Secretary  General  Anders  Fogh Rasmussen, left, inspects honor
   guard  with  Afghan Defense Minister Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak in Kabul,
   22 Dec 2009

Photo: AP

   NATO  Secretary-General  Anders  Fogh  Rasmussen, left, inspects honor
   guard  with  Afghan Defense Minister Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak in Kabul,
   22 Dec 2009

   At  a  joint  news  conference  in  Kabul with President Hamid Karzai,
   Secretary-  General  Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that in 2010 NATO will
   "focus  much more" on protecting the population, roads and development
   projects.  He  said  the NATO mission is entering a new phase with the
   addition  of almost 40,000 additional troops. He said the mission will
   bring  more  security to the Afghan people and will turn over more and
   more responsibility to the Afghan government.
   The  secretary-general  also congratulated Mr. Karzai for nominating a
   new Cabinet.
   A  key early test for Mr. Karzai's second term in office is the makeup
   of  his newly appointed Cabinet ministers and how they are received by
   the  international  community.  The  president has been under pressure
   from   world   leaders  to  appoint  competent  officials  who  resist
   corruption.
   Meanwhile,  NATO forces say Afghan-led forces killed "a few" militants
   and detained another in operations in Ghazni province Monday night.
   In  Kandahar  province,  a  NATO statement said a joint security force
   killed a couple of militants while pursuing a Taliban commander.

   President  Karzai  Tuesday  also  addressed  questions  about  how the
   government is handling the killing of one of his cousins. The New York
   Times  newspaper  reported  earlier  this week that 18-year-old Waheed
   Karzai was shot dead in October in Kandahar province.
   The newspaper says some relatives believe the shooting was carried out
   by  another  relative  as a revenge killing for a family death some 30
   years  ago.   The  accusers  say  they  believe  their  relatives  are
   protecting  the  killer.  President  Karzai  says  he  has ordered the
   interior ministry to investigate.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

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