KABUL - President Hamid Karzai has asked the United States to respect Afghanistan's sovereignty, asserting that decisions made by Afghan legal authorities regarding prisoners are none of the U.S.' business.
"Afghanistan is an independent country, if the legal and judicial organs decide to release a detainee, it should not be of concern to the U.S.," Karzai said at a press conference in Ankara, Turkey on Thursday. "We hope that the U.S. stops harassing Afghanistan's legal and judicial organs and respects our sovereignty."
Karzai declared his support for the decision of the Afghan legal organs and the National Directorate of Security (NDS) earlier this week to release 65 out of 88 detainees at Bagram that the U.S. has labeled "dangerous" and urged the Afghan government not to release.
U.S. Senator Lyndsey Graham claimed this week that Karzai had "sidestepped" the Afghan legal system, and encouraged the U.S. Congress to halt all aid to Afghanistan until after the elections in April when a new President will come into office.
On the contrary, Karzai defended the process that was conducted to determine whether or not the prisoners should be freed.
"We held several meetings with the legal and judicial organs and the NDS and assessed each of the 88 cases thoroughly," Karzai said. "The legal and judicial organs did not find solid evidences that could prove the alleged crimes, so they ordered the release."
U.S. officials have said they provided ample evidence to the Afghan Attorney General's office and the NDS proving that a number of the detainees were heavily involved in militant activities. After the release on Thursday, the U.S. Embassy said the freed prisoners were a threat to the lives of Afghan and foreign forces.
Karzai also touched on the issue of the Kabul-Washington Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which remains unsigned despite U.S. pressure. He maintained that unless it restored peace and stability, signing the agreement would not have any benefits for Afghanistan.
The Afghan President emphasized the importance of holding the elections on time on April 5. The vote will mark the first democratic transition of Presidential power in Afghan history.
Karzai criticized the methods of the NATO and U.S. war on terrorism, stating that the focus should be on terrorist cells and financial sources, not Afghan villages and houses. He suggested that the U.S. is in Afghanistan for its own interests.
Addressing the Turkish government, Karzai said that he is in favor of peace talks with the Taliban, but would not let a foreign power take advantage of Afghanistan's political condition through them. Karzai's fear of peace talks being manipulated by a foreign power could explain why he has sought out contact with the Taliban in secret.
Karzai said believes the Taliban want peace, and as Afghans, they deserve certain rights. He said he hoped they would enter negotiations with the High Peace Council soon. (Tolonews)