Afghan President Hamid Karzai holds a press conference at the Presidential Palace on February 8, 2011 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Karzai called on his Western allies to close down civil-military provincial reconstruction projects (PRT's) that have served their purpose, likening the PRT's to a 'plumber' whose services were no longer required.Majid Saeedi
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, showing more confidence than NATO, said that he will announce next month the first areas of the country that his government can run on its own.
Afghans will "take ownership" of their own security and services in specific cities, districts and provinces, marking the start of a gradual handover from foreign forces that can be completed by the end of 2014, he said.
NATO officials were less categorical, saying they appreciated Mr. Karzai's eagerness to use the occasion of the Afghan New Year, which begins on March 21, to proclaim the start of the transition.
But NATO commanders will still determine how quickly it will unfold based on assessments of the readiness of Afghan troops and ability of Afghan officials to govern in each area.
"It's premature to say anything about when the physical transition will take place, but it will be in the first half of 2011," Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, speaking from the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.
The different messages reflect the constant tension between Mr. Karzai's need to show he is in control and the NATO-led coalition's doubts about his government's capacity to manage either security or public services.
More than 150,000 foreign troops are deployed in Afghanistan to tamp down anti-government insurgents and NATO countries, led by the United States, subsidize the country's operating budget and pay the salaries of its security forces.
But the situation clearly chafes at Mr. Karzai and regularly leads to flare-ups between him and his international patrons.
He repeated his criticism of the foreign-run provincial reconstruction teams that spend the bulk of the billions of dollars in aid that is funnelled to the provinces.
Most of the PRTs, as they are called, operate on military bases and answer to the commanders of different foreign forces. Most NATO countries refuse to channel their aid money through the Afghan government.
Mr. Karzai called the PRTs "parallel structures that undermine our capacities" and said they must be closed down so that the Afghans see their government as the provider of projects and services.
"We are grateful," he said. "But I want them to start packing up."
Until last month, Canada ran the provincial reconstruction team in Kandahar province, a hotbed of the insurgency. It is now under American control, reflecting the influx of U.S. troops into the province and the scheduled pullout of Canadian forces this summer.
Afghan soldiers and police have already taken lead responsibility in some districts and cities in the north of the country, although few areas of Afghanistan are immune to attacks on government officials by Taliban insurgents and other anti-government groups.
The French government has indicated that one of the central Afghanistan districts where its troops have been operation will be a candidate for handover to Afghan security forces by the summer.
Kabul has also been mentioned as one of provinces that could be declared ready for transition this year, although it remains a target for insurgents.
A bomb exploded Tuesday under a police van in a crowded market area of the capital , damaging shops and cars but causing no casualties. In a separate incident two weeks ago, a suicide bomber attacked a supermarket in a well-to-do area of the capital, killing and wounding at least 23 people. Two separate insurgent groups, the Taliban and Hezb-e Islami, claimed responsibility.