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Karzai
Confident Plots Against Afghan Peace Will Fail
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| Hamid
Karzai, left, welcomed by his Turkish counterpart Bulent
Ecevit |
ANKARA,
April 4 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - While the Afghan interim
administration said it uncovered an anti-government plot and arrested
scores of people in Kabul, Afghan leader Hamid Karzai said, in Ankara,
Thursday any attempt to derail the peace process in Afghanistan would
fail, news agencies reported.
"We
do not expect any destruction in Afghanistan from now on. The Afghan
peace plan is being implemented and strengthened," Karzai told
reporters in the Turkish capital.
Asked
if rivals such as exiled warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar were plotting to
take over the shattered country's leadership when his six-month term
expires, Karzai was dismissive, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"If
there are efforts aimed at destruction in Afghanistan, the Afghan
people and the international community will show the necessary
reaction," said Karzai, who was speaking after talks with Turkish
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit.
Earlier
Thursday, officials in Kabul said that scores of people were arrested
over an alleged plot to attack the interim Afghan government on behalf
of Hekmatyar, AFP reported.
Kabul
Police Chief, General Din Mohammed Jurat, said the detainees were
plotting to plant bombs in Kabul and carry out other destructive acts
against the government, according to BBC’s online news service.
Many
of the suspects were picked up from the house of a senior
Hezb-i-Islami commander, Wahidullah Saba-Unn, where they were staying
as guests.
Saba-Unn,
who served in the post-Taleban administration, has been placed under
house arrest.
Jurat
claimed the authorities had legal evidence against the detainees, and
denied that the arrests were a means of settling old political scores.
The
security forces, including intelligence and police, are now dominated
by another old Afghan faction, Jamaat-i-Islami.
Jurat
said most of those arrested were members of Hezb-i-Islami - an Islamic
group headed by former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
In
another development, Karzai welcomed Turkey's readiness to assume the
command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul
after Britain.
"I
hope the Turkish soldiers will come to Kabul and take over the ISAF
leadership," the Afghan leader said.
NATO
member Turkey, ISAF's only Muslim participant, said last week it
agreed "in principle" to assume the command of the force
after Britain.
Ankara
requested clarification on the force's composition and future missions
and also demanded financial and logistical support from NATO allies
before taking over.
"We
have recently discussed with the United States and Britain under what
conditions we can assume this mission and we have reached a compromise
to a large extent," Ecevit said.
"It
will be an honor for us to carry out this duty," he added.
Turkey
has around 260 troops in ISAF and intends to raise their number to
about 1,000 after it formally assumes the command.
In
remarks to reporters earlier, Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah
Abdullah, who accompanied Karzai to Ankara, played down suggestions
Turkey's leadership might disturb the country's Pashtun majority.
"All
ethnic groups in Afghanistan see Turkey as a friendly country,"
Anatolia news agency quoted Abdullah as saying.
Some
observers said Turkey could be seen as partial in the eyes of the
Pashtuns because of its close ties with the country's Uzbeks.
Ethnic
Uzbek warlord Rashid Dostam spent several years in self-exile in
Turkey before returning home in April last year. 
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