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Afghan President Hamid Karzai has lambasted NATO forces over aseries of recent airstrikes that reportedly caused dozens ofcivilian casualties, saying that such attacks could threaten aU.S.-Afghan strategic agreement. The airstrikes were carried out beginning on Sunday across fourprovinces, and killed or injured "dozens of Afghan civilians including women and children," according to a statement from theAfghan presidential palace. Karzai summoned U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and the commander ofthe International Security Assistance Force, Gen. John Allen, onMonday to ask for an explanation of the incidents, CNN reported. Karzai singled out what he referred to as "unilateral" NATOairstrikes and said that "if the lives of Afghans are not safe thenstrategic cooperation between the two countries will lose itsmeaning and concept." Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama flew to Afghanistan to sign a memorandum of understanding alongside Karzai. Itoutlines promises and expectations between the two countries afterthe planned final withdrawal of American troops in 2014. New Taliban offensive On Monday, the Afghan government also condemned a recentannouncement by the Taliban regarding the start of their annual"spring offensive," which begins every year as snows melt and theweather warms across Afghanistan. The offensive normally leads to asurge of militant attacks throughout the country as the Talibanattempt to retake lost territory and intimidate the government. The Taliban announcement last week was another sign of thedifficulty of reconciling with a group that has been fighting theU.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces for more than a decade. TheTaliban said they would target anyone from government workers totribal leaders who works against them and helps foreigners intheir "occupation" of Afghanistan. On Monday, the Interior Ministry said that "while again declaringwar against the Afghan people, their government and constitution,the Taliban insurgents also abuse their religious values in thename of a cause opposed to the basic Islamic principles of peace,education and kindness." The ministry statement said the Taliban use propaganda and "twistholy religious values to justify their criminal activities," whichhave killed thousands of innocent people. Last year was the deadliest on record for civilians in the Afghanwar, with 3,021 killed, according to the United Nations.Taliban-affiliated militants were responsible for more thanthree-quarters of those deaths. The uptick in violence comes as NATO gears up to hand over securityto local forces ahead of a 2014 deadline for the withdrawal offoreign combat troops. Some have questioned if local forces will beup to the task. On Monday, a bomb killed three NATO service members in the east,the coalition said. It did not provide details about the attack northe nationality of those killed. NATO usually waits for membernations to provide details about troop deaths. So far this year,142 coalition members have died in Afghanistan. Prisoners secretly released The Washington Post also reported Monday that the U.S. military hasbeen secretly releasing high-level detainees from the Parwandetention centre near Kabul to help with the reconciliationprocess. Many high-level Taliban detainees are held at thefacility, which is run by the U.S. military but will be handed overto the Afghans within six months under a recently signed agreement. Captured Taliban insurgents and their weapons are presented to themedia in Ghazni province on April 26, 2012. (Mustafa Andaleb/Reuters) U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker told the newspaper that many times theUnited States had acted on information that "might strengthen thereconciliation process." "Ambassador Crocker was referencing a two-year old, rarely usedprogram in which senior military officials, together with theirAfghan counterparts, weigh the benefits of releasing certainindividuals who are being detained at the Parwan Detention Facilityand who are willing to denounce violence and engage in the processof reconciliation," U.S. Embassy spokesman Gavin Sundwall told TheAssociated Press. Sundwall said fewer than 20 detainees have ever been released underthe program and that the decision takes into account whether theypose any further security threat. In the latest violence, four gunmen took over a tall building inthe eastern province of Paktika late Sunday and started shootingdown into surrounding government compounds, wounding one civilian.A spokesman for the governor, Mokhlis Afghan, said policesurrounded the building in the provincial capital and killed theattackers after several hours. NATO and Afghan soldiers providedsupport. Also Monday, the governor of southern Helmand province condemned aNATO airstrike last week that he said killed six civilians awoman, three girls and two boys. Gulab Mangal said Friday's strikewas aimed at insurgents attacking NATO and Afghan forces in theprovince's Sangin district. He said "a civilian house was alsotargeted by the airstrike unintentionally." Mangal said U.S.-led NATO forces confirmed the recent event andapologized, saying it would help the remaining members of thefamily. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Suspended Gondola , China Suspended Platform Cradle for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Suspended Platforms.
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