Afghan clerics warn US to heed Karzai demands

The fate of prisoners held in Bagram jail has been one cause of a sharp deterioration in US-Afghan ties

KABUL, March 16, 2013 (AFP) - Afghanistan's leading religious body on Saturday warned the presence of US troops in the country would soon be treated as an “occupation” unless the United States hands over detainees.

In one sign of heightened tensions, hundreds of demonstrators on Saturday marched to the parliament complex in Kabul demanding the US special forces withdraw from Wardak after allegations of abuse.

The fate of prisoners held in Bagram jail has been one cause of a sharp deterioration in USAfghan ties, with President Hamid Karzai repeatedly pushing to be given full control of the facility north of Kabul.

“If the Americans do not act on their prom- ises (to hand over Bagram)... then that means occupation and they might like to see the reaction to that,” the influential National Ulema Council said in a statement.

The government-funded council, which is the highest Islamic authority in Afghanistan, added that a series of recent anti-US remarks by Karzai were “the true voice of the Muslim people of Afghanistan”.

Karzai has ordered US special forces out of the key province of Wardak, banned international troops from university campuses over alleged harassment and stopped the Afghan military calling in US airstrikes.

He also accused the US of acting in concert with Taliban insurgents to justify the presence of foreign troops.