MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The US mission in Afghanistan carried out since 2001 has only deteriorated the political situation in the country, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said.
On Thursday, US President Barack Obama announced that Washington will keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan throughout most of 2016, further maintaining 5,500 troops in after 2016, instead of fully withdrawing all of its forces from the country by the next year, as originally planned.
"The presence of foreign forces under the name of fight against terrorism not only resulted to elimination of terrorism but during this period terrorism gained further strength," Karzai said in a statement on Saturday, as quoted saying by the Afghan Khaama Press agency.
The former Afghan president added that the Afghan people agreed with the sustained presence of foreign forces 14 years ago only with a hope to tackle terrorism and maintain peace in the country.
In recent months, the Afghan government has been faced with a resurgent Taliban and the spread of Islamic State extremists in several provinces.
