Over Publicity on Draw-down Heightens Enemy Spirit

A top official in the Afghan Ministry of Defence (MoD) remarked on Wednesday that an over publicity of troops' draw-down is beneficial for neighbouring countries and insurgents

An over publicity of the foreign forces withdrawal from Afghanistan will strengthen anti-government armed groups, but it will not cause security catastrophe, said the spokesman for the MoD, General Zahir Azimi.

"Over-talking on whether foreign forces will be pulled out by 2011 or not, will only help enemy to gain more energy, and get more morale and this raises the morale of the neighbouring countries that were saying one day international community will leave Afghanistan, and we will go back to the past," said Mr Azimi.

Meanwhile, Efforts are on the ground to ensure security for the polling centres by MoD, it acknowledged that 91 closed polling centres are to be provided with security in the country.

"Still investigations are on the ground, and based on the last probes, we are able to open 91 other polling centres," he said.

For the time being, unwelcomed gun battles by armed anti-government groups plague the Afghan government, the MoD said.

Mr Azimi said: "We are faced with a kind of guerrilla fighting. We are faced with a rather unorganised war and we are faced with an enemy who is almost invisible. In this kind of situation, anything could happen anywhere."

The remarks come as, recently prominent foreign officials and top US commanders in Afghanistan overspeak the withdrawal of their troops from Afghanistan.

Addressing his nation on Tuesday, the US President, Barack Obama, announced that American troops will start their gradual withdrawal from Afghanistan on the targeted date, July 2011, but based on the conditions on the ground.