Departure of security chiefs raises eyebrows

KABUL: The shock departure of two of Afghanistan’s most respected security chiefs at a critical juncture in the US-led fight against the Taliban threatened to leave a void and raised questions about unity within the War-ravaged country’s ranks.

Interior Minister Hanif Atmar and head of intelligence Amrullah Saleh are out of office, on the face of it, because militants fired rockets towards a key peace conference, embarrassing President Hamid Karzai mid-way through a speech.

The presidency said they were summoned to account for last week’s attack, where they resigned over a “serious security breach”. The attack itself failed to hurt any of the 1,600 delegates at the peace jirga

Atmar had been in the job since 2008 and Saleh since 2004. They were among the most respected members of Karzai’s government, both at home and in the Western capitals bankrolling an intensifying fight against the Taliban.

As interior minister, Atmar was responsible for building up the police force, which has struggled with poor equipment and recruitment. As director of the National Directorate of Security, Saleh was key to anti-Taliban operations.

In an administration plagued by allegations of corruption, they were seen as efficient and talented administrators with perfect grasp of English.

Afghanistan’s ability to take responsibility for securing its borders and quelling the Taliban insurgency is seen as vital to US plans to end engagement in an increasingly costly and deadly nine-year war.

But Atmar and Saleh reputedly had serious reservations about Karzai’s approach to brokering peace talks with the Taliban -- a proposal which was endorsed by last week’s jirga.

US commanders and officials have also privately expressed worries that Karzai’s strategy has not been well-planned.

But US Defense Secretary Robert Gates avoided criticising Karzai over the removal of the officials.

“I would just hope that President Karzai will appoint, in the place of those who have left, people of equal calibre,” Gates told reporters on Monday.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 8th, 2010.