Petraeus flies in as British aid worker dies in Taleban surge

Published on Friday 2 July 2010 15:50

The new American commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, arrived in Kabul yesterday as widespread violence crowned a politically turbulent week which underlined the manifold challenges he must overcome to reverse the nine-year war.

• Gen Petraeus was appointed after predecessor's sacking

The four-star United States general credited with turning a corner in Iraq was appointed after President Barack Obama relieved his predecessor, General Stanley McChrystal, of his command.

Gen Petraeus touched down yesterday afternoon, just 48 hours after Nato marked the bloodiest month of the nine-year war and Congress voted to suspend $4 billion (3bn) in aid, because of President Hamid Karzai's failure to tackle corruption.

Three international aid workers, including a British national, and two Afghan guards were killed in northern Afghanistan yesterday when a Taleban suicide squad stormed their fortified compound in Kunduz City.

Security in the surrounding province has deteriorated sharply over the past 18 months, with the Taleban seizing control of districts that used to be largely peaceful. The men were working for a Washington-based development company contracted to the US government, when a suicide car bomber blew a hole in their compound wall at around 3.30am local time.

At least five attackers stormed through the rubble, wounding several guards, before being killed in a close quarters battle with Afghan security forces.

Local officials said a German, a Briton and Filipino were killed in the attack which echoed a similar raid on a United Nations guesthouse in Kabul last year.

Elsewhere, Nato announced two soldiers had been killed in separate attacks.

An American was killed in the east of the country yesterday while a British Royal Marine was killed in the south, on Thursday, the Ministry of Defence said. With 102 deaths, June has been the deadliest month of the nine-year war and July has shown little sign of respite so far.

In Kabul, a former British army officer is due in court today to appeal a politically charged conviction for allegedly trying to bribe Afghan officials.

Bill Shaw's lawyer said the former Army major, who ran a private security company responsible for guarding the British Embassy in Afghanistan, was denied a fair trial at his first hearing and should never have been convicted or jailed.

His appeal comes just days after US congressmen voted to freeze block aid for Afghanistan, citing Kabul's failure to crack down on corruption.

Although president Karzai promised to cut out the "cancer of corruption" in his inauguration speech last autumn, progress has been woefully slow. Pressed by international donors he has often lashed out in the past, blaming the west for fuelling corruption. At one point he even threatened to join the Taleban.

Nita Lowey, chair of the Congressional aid appropriations committee, demanded an audit of billions of dollars of past funds before they would agree to funnel more taxpayers' money into Karzai's regime.

"I do not intend to appropriate one more dime for assistance to Afghanistan until I have confidence that US taxpayer money is not being abused to line the pockets of corrupt Afghan government officials, drug lords and terrorists," Ms Lowey said.

Mr Shaw was arrested after demanding a receipt for a $20,000 release fee he paid to a man he thought was working for Afghanistan's intelligence service, to get two armoured cars out of the police pound. Pressed by international donors he has often lashed out in the past, blaming the west for fuelling corruption. At one point he even threatened to join the Taleban.

Nita Lowey, chair of the Congressional aid appropriations committee, demanded an audit of billions of dollars of past funds before they would agree to funnel more taxpayers' money into Karzai's regime.

"I do not intend to appropriate one more dime for assistance to Afghanistan until I have confidence that US taxpayer money is not being abused to line the pockets of corrupt Afghan government officials, drug lords and terrorists," Ms Lowey said.

Mr Shaw was arrested after demanding a receipt for a $20,000 release fee he paid to a man he thought was working for Afghanistan's intelligence service, to get two armoured cars out of the police pound.