Iran doubts whether NATO is doing professional job in Afghanistan

Tehran, May 31, IRNA -- Iran on Monday deplored civilian deaths in NATO's blind air raids in Afghanistan even after President Hamid Karzai banned NATO's night raids on civilian areas.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast berated the NATO command for unleashing blind night time air strikes against civilian areas in Afghanistan and the latest tragedy created by NATO in Helmand province in which eight children and four women died and other six were injured.

Mehmanparast said that ten years presence of foreign troopers in Afghanistan has not helped the international campaign against terrorism. Instead, Afghanistan has witnessed growth of extremism caused by violence and brutality of foreign forces against innocent civilians and the increase in production of illicit drugs.

He questioned whether or not the NATO is doing professional job in Afghanistan and said that NATO forces have committed regrettable mistakes in Afghanistan killing many civilians in the name of international campaign against terrorism.

He expressed the hope that an immediate withdrawal of foreign forces would lead to restoration of stability and rule of law in Afghanistan by the Afghan forces themselves./end