June 10, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1424

KABUL, June 9: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday blamed foreigners for a car bomb attack that killed four German peacekeepers in Kabul, his latest bid to dispel the view abroad that the Taliban were making a comeback.

Keen not to lose vital foreign aid and military support, the US-backed leader said the ousted Taliban regime was finished and the kind of security threat faced by Afghanistan was similar to that in any other country.

His interior minister pointed the finger of blame at Pakistan for instability in Afghanistan, alleging that Islamabad was continuing to run training camps and staging posts for attacks.

Attacks on aid agencies, peacekeepers and US-led forces in the country since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 show no sign of letting up. Saturday’s attack on German peacekeepers was the worst so far against the force.

“I am not worried about the resurgence of the Taliban,” President Karzai said at a news briefing at the presidential palace in Kabul. “The Taliban movement as a movement is finished, is gone.”

“Are we concerned about terroristic activities of the kind that occur at the borders or inside Afghanistan, of the kind that happened the day before yesterday? Yes.”

Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali was more specific.

“The one thing we learned so far is that the terrorists and anti-government elements cannot stay for long inside the country so they take refuge in these areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border,” he told the same briefing.

“We hope that Pakistan security forces who are also committed to fight terrorism will intensify their activities to go after these terrorist centres including training areas, staging areas and also areas where some of their leaders are residing.”

Mr Karzai said the main threat to security was not from Afghans, but foreigners.

“We know he is not from Afghanistan,” he said, referring to the car bomber who blew up the bus carrying German peacekeepers.

He Karzai added that Afghans themselves were tipping off the authorities when they became suspicious.

According to the president, a major battle last week near the southeastern town of Spin Boldak in which 40 Taliban fighters were killed was the result of locals’ information.

Mr Jalali said the country’s intelligence network was yielding results, allowing the government to issue a warning related to the car bomb attack on the Germans one week before it happened. Three other attacks on foreigners had been foiled, he added.—Reuters