Afghan officials say President Hamid Karzai is considering offering a government post to a powerful regional warlord, despite concerns over his role in alleged human rights abuses.
A presidential spokesman Jawed Ludin told a news briefing in Kabul Tuesday that General Abdul Rashid Dostum held several meetings with the president to discuss a possible government position.
Asked about charges that General Dostum was guilty of human rights abuses and war crimes, the spokesman said it was a completely different issue. He stressed that everyone in Afghanistan has the right to fulfill their responsibilities and be given opportunity to do so.
General Dostum's faction helped U.S. -led coalition forces oust the former Taleban regime in 2001. He finished fourth in last year's presidential elections and narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in January.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
