KABUL — America’s top military officer assured President Hamid Karzai on Saturday that newly chosen NATO commander Gen. David Petraeus would pursue the policies of his ousted predecessor, whom the Afghan leader praised for reducing civilian casualties.
Karzai’s emphasis on preventing civilian deaths and injuries could make it difficult for NATO to relax rules of fighting that some U.S. troops say give the advantage to the Taliban.
For now, however, no changes have been proposed, said a spokesman for visiting Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Mullen met with the Afghan leader for 45 minutes. He also met with U.S. Embassy officials and had a video teleconference with regional commanders.
To both sides, Mullen stressed the importance of a good “lash-up” between often strained civilian and military efforts to beat back a resurgent Taliban and extend the Karzai government’s control beyond Kabul. The Associated Press
