In an interview published on ISNA news agency on Sunday, Fada Hossein Maleki said there has been no positive point in remarks made by U.S. President Obama so far so that Iran consider putting talks with the United States on its agenda.
“We have seen for many times that whenever Obama speaks of talks tomorrow he will take an action against Iran in the international arena with regard to Iran and nuclear issues,” Maleki said.
“We do not trust their remarks and stances, and of course the Americans are not trying to create a situation which can create confidence.”
Maleki was commenting on recent remarks by Obama that the U.S. is ready to hold talks with Iran over issues pertaining to Afghanistan and the region.
He said the presence of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan has made the situation more convoluted.
He went on to say that the Afghans themselves can improve the situation in their country.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai called Saturday for the international community to stop supporting private security companies in Afghanistan, which he said have created parallel security forces in competition with police and army.
He also said foreign donors should help curb corruption by telling his government details about the reconstruction contracts they award.
Karzai spoke during a visit to the Afghan Civil Service Institute, which is training thousands of civil servants in Kabul and across the nation to bolster the capacity of the Afghan government. The president said that the recent international conference he hosted in the capital is proof that the government becoming stronger.
To help strengthen his government, the U.S. and NATO should eliminate private security companies, which Karzai said has created a security structure in Afghanistan that undermines the Afghan army and police.
"Afghan or foreign companies, there are some 30,000 to 40,000 people in these security companies," Karzai said. "They have created security problems for us, whoever is working in these private security companies, they are not working for the benefit of Afghan national interests. ... If they really want to be at the service of Afghans, they should join Afghan National Police."
The Afghan government has no oversight over the private security guards.
"Very urgently and seriously we want from the foreigners to stop creating private security companies," Karzai said. "We cannot tolerate these companies, which are like a parallel structure with our forces. We cannot have police, army and — at the same time — another force as private security companies."
AA/PA
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MNA