US should go after source of terror, says Karzai

New Delhi, Nov 10 (IANS) In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai Saturday said he hoped newly re-elected US president Barack Obama would attend to his concerns over civilian casualties and go after sanctuaries of terror across the border.

In an interview to TV news channel CNN-IBN in Mumbai, Karzai said Pakistan must realise that “the snake of terrorism it has nurtured” will not stay only in the neighbour’s house.

Karzai said that US does not attack the source of terror.

“We believe the war against terror won’t be won by bombing Afghan villages but by finding the sanctuaries of terror and financiers across borders. The US never attacks the source of terror,” he said.

According to transcript of interview released by CNN-IBN, Karzai said he would not stay as president when his term runs out in 2014.

“It’s no good for Afghanistan, and no good for me. I’ve done my time, a new president must take over,” he said.

Speaking about school student and Pakistani activist Malala Yousufzai who was attacked by the Taliban in Pakistan for speaking about girl’s rights to education, Karzai said: “Afghanistan will hunt for Malala’s attackers including Maulana Fazlullah. Maulana Fazlullah has come from Pakistan, he was trained and armed there.”

Asked about the world observing international Malala day and his writing to the Pakistani leadership following the attack on the young girl that it was time to jointly fight terrorism, Karzai said Afghanistan has for years hoped for better relations with its neighbour but that has not happened.

“When the attack on Malala happened, this proved our point. Terrorism is a snake and when you train a snake, you can’t expect it will only go to the neighbour’s house. I am waiting to hear back from the Pakistani leadership,” Karzai said.

“If Maulana is in Afghanistan he has come from where? Pakistan? Who trained him? Who resourced him. The earlier they accept it and fight radicalism, the better for us, the better for Pakistan and the better for India,” he added.

Karzai, who is in Mumbai to meet Indian businessmen and make a pitch for more investment in Afghanistan, said he remembers his years in India’s hill town of Shimla as a period of “great memories”. “India gave me an education, and also moral values. I learnt about Gandhiji and vegetarianism,” he added, concluding in Hindi, “Bharat sabse achcha mulk hai (India is the best country).”

IANS 2012-11-10 22:36:18