Karzai claims Brown has threatened to withdraw British troops from Helmand province, where 31 of them have died this year, if the president reinstates two provincial governors sacked for alleged dealings in the heroin trade.
One of them is Sher Mohammed Akhundzada, the former governor of Helmand, who was forced out under British pressure two years ago after nine tons of opium and heroin were discovered in his basement. Karzai’s plan to reinstate the governors has alarmed western diplomats in Kabul and dismayed British officials.
However, the Taliban have made advances since Akhundzada’s departure and drug production has increased. Karzai believes Britain’s “interference” is to blame.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has denounced a wave of Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon as...
A Ukrainian court has handed down the first jail sentence for life against a Russian soldier...
Hamas fighters entrenched in Rafah, the southernmost area of Gaza now under Israeli control, may soon...
What future is there for Palestinians in Gaza? The announcement of the ceasefire brought profound relief,...
