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Afghanistan not in crisis: UN Security Council

KABUL: Afghanistan is not in a security crisis and disillusionment and recriminations about its situation should be avoided, a UN Security Council team said on Thursday at the end of a three-day assessment tour.

There were even reasons for ‘cautious optimism’, the delegation told reporters before wrapping up a visit which comes as attacks linked to the insurgency led by the Taliban are at record levels.

"There is undoubtedly a difficult security situation which is developing... but not a security crisis," said the delegation head Italian Ambassador Giulio Terzi.

"This is the time for the Afghan people and for the international community to redouble efforts and to redouble the spirit of joint partnership in overcoming these difficulties," he added.

In his meeting with the team on Tuesday, President Hamid Karzai demanded a ‘timeline’ for the end of largely UN-mandated international military intervention in Afghanistan.

Karzai also said it was ‘unacceptable’ that pockets of his country were in control of the Taliban despite the presence of nearly 70,000 international troops.

Terzi said there was an expectation among all involved that the international intervention would be as short as possible, but it would also have to be sustained as long as needed. afp

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