Karzai seeks suggestions for aircrafts purchase

KABUL): President Hamid Karzai on Sunday directed the Ministry of Defence to provide viable suggestions for purchasing aircrafts and strengthening the air force, the president’s office said.

The ministry was asked at a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC), presided over by President Karzai, to prepare workable suggestions and present them at the council’s next meeting, a statement issued from the president’s office said.

Foreign soldiers had promised they would train and equip Afghan force by providing them with weapons, vehicles and aircrafts until 2014 when a gradual withdrawal of foreign soldiers will complete, it said.

A month back, ISAF spokesman, Josef Blotz, told a news conference that ISAF would deliver 145 helicopters and aircrafts to the Afghan air forces until 2014.

About 80,000 vehicles, including hamvees and armoured would be handed over to Afghan forces, he had said.

The NSC meeting was also attended by ministers of interior, defence and head of National Directorate of Security (NDS). They presented their reports about the security situation in the country to the president.

frm/ma

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