Afghan President Hamid Karzai removed two of the country’s top security officials — each with longtime ties to US forces — over an attack on a national conference exploring peace with the Taliban.
The removals on Sunday of the interior minister and intelligence chief surprised US officials and may cause major disruption within Afghanistan’s intelligence and security establishment at a critical juncture — as the US and NATO escalate the war and the Afghan government commits to offering peace to the insurgents.
The move is likely to fuel speculation over differences within the Karzai administration over its efforts to reconcile with the Taliban — including the possible release of hundreds of detained militant suspects.
The head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), Amrullah Saleh, was a senior figure in the Northern Alliance that helped the US oust the Taliban regime in 2001. As a young man, Interior Minister Hanif Atmar served in Afghanistan’s communist-era intelligence agency and fought mujahidin opposed to the Soviet occupation.
“It’s a very significant event. There will be a massive fallout from these resignations both in the Interior Ministry and the NDS as alliances are shuffled,” said Candace Rondeaux, senior analyst on Afghanistan for the International Crisis Group think tank. “They appear to be forced resignations, and reflect significant worries of Karzai’s administration over the loyalty of those leading key security agencies in the country.”
Sunday’s resignations were a surprise — not least as the attack on the jirga last week was thwarted. Security officials have rarely faced punishment or resigned over previous major attacks in the capital.
Replacing the security chiefs comes after Karzai’s visit last month to Washington that eased strains in the bilateral relationship.
“Both the ministers of interior and intelligence are people we admire and whose service we appreciate,” Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said.
He also said the US had favored Atmar for the interior ministry job.
However, General Stanley McChrystal, commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement that he respected the Afghan president’s authority to make this “difficult decision.”
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