Karzai says Zardari has right intentions in terror fight

Asked whether Zardari could control the country’s powerful intelligence agencies, who were suspected to be behind the Indian Embassy bombing in Kabul in July, Karzai said the international community should enable the current Pakistan President to do that.

“They have the right attitude. They are on our side.

They are on the side of the international community in fighting terrorism. That is good for Pakistan as well. We have to give them the support and the means to deliver that,” Karzai said.

Asked whether former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf did not try quite a few options, Karzai said, “Maybe he did, maybe the west did try it with him but we did not see results.”

On his faith in new Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Kiyani, Karzai said he had heard good things about him as well. “Afghanistan will do everything to give them a sense of confidence.”

Karzai did not agree with comments that Taliban had been strengthened recently, but, said “we are not doing things that we should be doing” such as eliminating their sanctuaries. Asked he was referring to Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan, the Afghan President did some tight rope walking, saying “I was talking about sanctuaries. But, I am now trying to be careful.”

International community, he said, should have paid more attention to the tribal areas, including applying right mix of political and diplomatic efforts.

But, Karzai replied in negative when asked whether the international troops, now operating in Afghanistan, should have gone into tribal areas, “not militarily. They should have used and kept open all options in order to bring security to Afghanistan.”