Karzai told visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Thursday that "both sides (the Afghan government and the U.S.) should work together for a security handover from international forces to Afghan troops to take place by 2013 instead of 2014," according to a statement of Karzai`s office.
"The Afghan government is ready to take overall security responsibility," Karzai said in the statement.
U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday said that the NATO forces in Afghanistan will shift to a support role in 2013, a year ahead of the scheduled date to complete troop withdrawal from the war-torn country.
Karzai also told Panetta that the United States should pull out its troops from Afghan villages, where they have military camps and outposts, and relocate them in their bases across the country.
He made the comments in the wake of a shooting spree by a U.S. soldier that left 16 Afghan civilians dead in the southern Kandahar province, the Taliban group`s birthplace and stronghold.
The suspect, an Army staff sergeant who the U.S. military said had acted alone, left his base in Panjwai district of Kandahar on Sunday morning and killed 16 villagers including three women and nine children.
Panetta during the meeting told Karzai that the United States vowed to hold fully accountable anyone found responsible for the killing of civilians in Afghanistan, according to the statement.
Also on Thursday, the Taliban outfit announced that it has suspend preliminary peace talks with the United States, the ousted regime said in a statement emailed to media, citing a reason that Washington shows no clear stance.
(H-AK)
Editor: Ella Syafputri
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
