Hamid Karzai says US cutting supplies to put pressure on security pact

Reuters in Kabul
theguardian.com, Sunday 1 December 2013 18.42 GMT

The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, and his national security council have accused the United States of cutting military supplies, including fuel, to put pressure on the country to sign a security pact, a statement from Karzai's palace said on Sunday.

The US embassy in Kabul denied that supplies had been cut. US officials said logistical problems in Pakistan might have given rise to the alleged delays in deliveries. In a statement, the Nato-led force in Afghanistan said: "There has been no stoppage in the delivery of requested fuel and we continue to process all orders as soon as they are received."

Karzai's relationship with the United States has worsened since he invited thousands of elders to vote on the security deal last week and then ignored their advice, which was to sign it promptly. The pact's terms were settled after about a year of wrangling, but Karzai has since added conditions that include the release of all Afghan prisoners from Guantánamo Bay in Cuba and an end to military operations involving Afghan homes.

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