FARAH CITY (SW): During a trip to restive Farah province, Minister for Defense, Gen. Tairq Shah Bahrami, said war in this part of the country bordering Iran is for control over water resources.
Top Afghan and NATO security officials on Saturday visited Farah.
Addressing provincial officials and local elders, Gen. Bahrami said insecurity increased here after the development of Salma Dam, the India – Afghanistan Friendship Dam, and the proposed Bakhsh Aabad Dam.
He said the Afghan Air Force (AAF) would be provided 50 combat helicopters by the U.S. soon, and this would help curb the militants.
He and the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Nicholson and other officials blamed regional countries for destabilizing Afghanistan. Gen. Nicholson hailed the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) for their offensives against the rebels in the province.
Mohammad Masoum Stanikzai, head of the National Directorate of Security, and Wais Ahmad Barmak, Minister for Interior, stressed reforms would be brought in the security institutions, and those found guilty of negligence of duty would be held accountable.
This visit came days after the Taliban staged massive coordinated attacks here.
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