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Afghanistan kicks out officials
25/12/2007 17:38 - (SA)
Kabul - Afghanistan has ordered a top European Union official and a United Nations staffer to leave the country for threatening national security, government and diplomatic officials said on Tuesday.
The two were declared persona non grata, apparently after allegations they had met with Taliban insurgents, a European diplomat said.
The office of President Hamid Karzai had at first announced at a news conference that the two, said to be British and Irish, had been arrested.
Spokesperson Homayun Hamidzada later told AFP the pair, whom he did not identify, had been asked to leave the country. Another official said that two of their Afghan colleagues had been arrested.
"The foreign nationals have been declared persona non grata and their Afghan colleagues have been arrested and are being investigated," Hamidzada said.
He said his earlier statement that the pair were in custody was a "misunderstanding", but insisted that the government still believed they were a threat to national security. Two-day deadline
A European diplomat said on condition of anonymity that the men had been given two days to leave, but the UN mission here said it was not aware of any deadline.
They had been accused of "having had contacts with the armed opposition out of the knowledge of the government", the diplomat said.
"Afghans claim they have documents proving these guys had contacts with the Taliban, but have not given any proof," he said.
The UN mission said it was not sure on what basis the government had made the allegations.
Cases of Westerners allegedly involved in illegal activities related to national security have in the past been rare.
Jonathan "Jack" Idema, an American, left the country in June after spending almost three years behind bars here on charges of running a private jail and kidnapping and torturing Afghans.
Idema was sentenced to 10 years, which was later reduced to five. He was freed after receiving a pardon.
The ex-soldier said he was carrying out anti-terrorism operations in co-ordination with the US Defence Department and Afghan authorities. Both governments denied the claim.
In December 2006, an aide to the then British commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan was arrested on charges of passing secrets to "the enemy", reportedly Iran.
Iranian-born Daniel James, 44, denied passing secrets to Iran. He is due to face trial in February.
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