Foreign troops making security worse: Governor

From Quqnoos:

Governor blames foreigners for insecurity
Foreign troops fail to respect Afghan culture, Balkh official says

June 26 - The governor of Balkh has blamed foreign troops for increasing insecurity in Afghanistan.

Governor Ata Mohammad Noor said on Thursday that US-led and NATO-led troops failed to respect Afghan culture, which he said fuelled the insurgency, especially in the south of Afghanistan.

He said the coalition should leave house raids and arrests to the Afghans security forces to avoid upsetting the local populace.

He also criticised foreign soldiers for using heavy-handed tactics, such as air-strikes, against the Taliban, which he said led to the deaths of innocent civilians.

The relationship between the government and the civilian population has deteriorated because of the raids and air-strikes on civilian homes, he said.

The coalition forces rejected Noor’s claims, arguing that they are in the country to provide security and assistance to the Afghan people... (link)

FYI, Governor Noor visited the US last year. Here he is seen visiting an elementary school in Seattle.