Washington: The United States on Tuesday expressed serious concern over return of General Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former Afghan warlord, allegedly involved in
massacre, to Afghanistan.
"We have made clear to the Government of Afghanistan
our serious concerns regarding the return of Mr Dostum and any
prospective role in today`s Afghanistan," Assistant Secretary
of State for Public affairs, Philip J Crowley, told reporters.
Crowley said US President Barack Obama had earlier
asked the national security team to gather further information
on his background, including concerns that he might have been
involved in the deaths of a significant number of Taliban
prisoners of war a few years ago, and that the team is
continuing to gather that information.
General Dostum, who had earlier sought political exile
in Turkey, returned to Afghanistan with a few days to go for
the presidential elections. His dramatic return, media reports
said, is part of the campaign for incumbent Afghan President
Hamid Karzai, who is seeking a re-election.
"General Dostum is arguably the most notorious of
Afghanistan`s warlords, regional barons who fought a bloody
civil war after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989," The Times
wrote in its news dispatch from London.
Bureau Report
