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Afghan interior minister, spy chief resign
KABUL, Afghanistan, (UPI) -- Two senior Afghan government officials resigned Sunday after President Hamid Karzai blamed them for failing to prevent last week's attack on the "peace jirga."
Karzai accepted the resignations of Interior Minister Hanif Atmar and National Security Director Amrullah Saleh, both of whom had close ties to Washington, The Washington Post reported.
Explanations offered by Atmar and Saleh for the security lapse that allowed the Taliban to attack last week's nationwide conference with rockets and gunfire were "not satisfactory," Karzai said in a statement Sunday.
At least three rockets were fired at the meeting of delegates, and three people were killed nearby.
A NATO official close to Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the military commander in Afghanistan, said the resignations were "not helpful to what we're trying to do right now," The New York Times reported Sunday.
McChrystal issued a statement saying the development "is clearly a matter between President Karzai and his leadership."
"I respect the president's authority to make this difficult political decision," McChrystal said.
Karzai had argued with Atmar and Saleh during the past several months, people close to Karzai told the Times. Disagreements centered on the appointment of police officials and other personnel matters, security officials told the newspaper.
Karzai appointed Deputy Interior Minister Munir Mangal as interim minister, and selected Ibrahim Spinzada, an engineer, as his new spy chief.
KABUL, Afghanistan, (UPI) -- Two senior Afghan government officials resigned Sunday after President Hamid Karzai blamed them for failing to prevent last week's attack on the "peace jirga."
Karzai accepted the resignations of Interior Minister Hanif Atmar and National Security Director Amrullah Saleh, both of whom had close ties to Washington, The Washington Post reported.
Explanations offered by Atmar and Saleh for the security lapse that allowed the Taliban to attack last week's nationwide conference with rockets and gunfire were "not satisfactory," Karzai said in a statement Sunday.
At least three rockets were fired at the meeting of delegates, and three people were killed nearby.
A NATO official close to Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the military commander in Afghanistan, said the resignations were "not helpful to what we're trying to do right now," The New York Times reported Sunday.
McChrystal issued a statement saying the development "is clearly a matter between President Karzai and his leadership."
"I respect the president's authority to make this difficult political decision," McChrystal said.
Karzai had argued with Atmar and Saleh during the past several months, people close to Karzai told the Times. Disagreements centered on the appointment of police officials and other personnel matters, security officials told the newspaper.
Karzai appointed Deputy Interior Minister Munir Mangal as interim minister, and selected Ibrahim Spinzada, an engineer, as his new spy chief.