Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry has rejected comments from the top U.N.
official in the country warning President Hamid Karzai to combat
corruption or risk losing international support.
A Foreign
Ministry statement issued Saturday says U.N. special representative Kai
Eide "exceeded his authority as a representative of an impartial
international organization."
On Thursday, Eide said the Afghan
government risks support by allowing - in his words - "warlords and
power-brokers" to "play their own games."
The Afghan Foreign
Ministry defended the Karzai administration, saying it has made
combatting corruption one of the "pre-conditions for a peaceful and
stable Afghanistan."
The ministry said similar comments to
Eide's from the international community in recent days violate "respect
for Afghanistan's national sovereignty."
British Prime Minister
Gordon Brown issued one of the strongest warnings to Mr. Karzai Friday,
saying British military support depends on the Afghan leader's ability
to combat corruption.
The U.N. Security Council Friday called on Mr. Karzai to promote good governance and to improve security.
U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced Friday that only 200 U.N. staff
members would be temporarily relocated either within Afghanistan or
abroad for security reasons.
Eide previously said more than 600
staffers would be moved, following last week's Taliban attack on a U.N.
guest house in the capital, Kabul.
News
Afghanistan Rejects UN Criticism of Karzai
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