AFGHANASTAN: Residents of the Afghan city of Kandahar told the visiting British Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, of their security fears yesterday, hours after a bomb at a mosque in the former Taliban power base wounded 10 people.
Police in the neighbouring southern province of Zabul said government forces and fighters of the ousted Taliban had been locked in clashes for several days and at least nine fighters had been killed.
Mr Straw met the governor of Kandahar province, Mr Gul Agha Sherzai, as well as citizens who told him their main worry was deteriorating security.
"I have come to see for myself the needs of the people and what ISAF, the UN, the international community and coalition forces can do," Mr Straw said, referring to the International Security Assistance Force for Kabul.
Some of the citizens told Mr Straw that the 5,000-strong ISAF, which only operates in the capital, should be expanded to cover Kandahar.
But Britain and the United States have declined to expand ISAF to the provinces. Instead they are helping the government form a national army drawn from all regions and communities.
Mr Straw arrived in Kabul on Monday, when he urged leaders of the US-backed government to improve security in their war-ravaged country.
The transitional government of President Hamid Karzai has struggled to impose authority outside the capital, where warlords and regional commanders rule with the help of personal militias.
Authorities have blamed a string of attacks on US-led international forces, government troops and aid workers on remnants of the ousted Taliban and their al-Qaeda allies. - (Reuters)