Russia believes that retaining Hamid Karzai’s rule in Afghanistan is a stabilizing element in the development of the country’s situation. This was stated by Lieutenant-General Alexander Shlyakhturov, the director of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, in view of the Military Intelligence Day, which is marked today. 

“Russia considers the retaining power of Hamid Karzai as a positive and stabilizing element in the development of the internal political situation in Afghanistan and consequently, Moscow supports him,” the Russian General said.

He described the situation in Afghanistan as complicated and tense. According to him, the trend in the development of the situation is unpredictable. “In this case everything depends on the level of consistency of the international community’s efforts to normalize and stabilize the situation in the country,” Alexander Shlyakhturov said.

According to the General, currently, the drug threat coming from Afghanistan is the main threat to Russia’s national security. “Drug trafficking from Afghanistan through the Central Asian countries and other states poses the largest threat to the country’s national security. The most alarming factor is that the amount of drugs increases every year despite the presence of international coalition forces in Afghanistan,” the General said.

Meanwhile, the British press has raised the question of withdrawing forces after the killing of five British servicemen by Afghan police officers in Helmand a few days ago. On the eve, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said British forces would remain in southern Afghanistan despite the incident.