KABUL, May 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Saturday that his government wanted greater control over American military operations in his country and serious punishment of US soldiers who abused Afghan prisoners.
Karzai, who is scheduled to meet US President George W. Bush in Washington on Sunday, said he was shocked by a US army report that revealed details of the deaths of two Afghan detainees in US military custody in December 2002.
"It has shocked me thoroughly and we condemn it," Karzai told anews conference, adding his government wanted Washington to take "very, very strong action, to take people away like that."
He said he will raise the prisoner abuse issue with Bush and demanded handover of all Afghan prisoners still in US custody.
He also demanded more say over American military operations in his country, including an end to raids on homes of Afghans unless his government was notified beforehand.
Karzai made the demands after latest reports of prisoner abuse by US troops at the US military prison at Bagram airbase north of Kabul, and anti-US riots across the country earlier this month, leaving at least 15 people dead. Enditem |