War of words builds in east Afghan flashpoint

Tuesday February 12, 9:22 PM

KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan faction battling over the appointment of a new governor in troubled Paktia province fired a new salvo of defiance in the dispute on Tuesday, vowing to resist any moves by Kabul to impose its will.

On Monday, Afghanistan's interim government led by Hamid Karzai, appointed Taj Mohammad Wardak as new governor for the eastern province, setting up a possible new showdown with its sacked governor who fought a bloody battle with a rival warlord last week.

"No way will we accept the new governor," Wazir Zadran, brother of sacked governor Padsha Khan Zadran, told Reuters by satellite telephone.

"Karzai will pay a high price for this act until our last drop of blood," he said.

In announcing Wardak to replace former Karzai-appointee Zadran, General Deen Mohammad Joorat, chief of the national security department, blamed neighbouring Pakistan for unrest in Paktia.

Joorat said Wardak was an influential figure who could rule the mountainous, border province peacefully.

The appointment was made a day after Padsha Khan Zadran said he would oppose any move by Karzai to replace him.

The sacked governor also vowed to recapture the provincial capital Gardez from where he was forced out by fighters loyal to rival commander Haji Saifullah after two days of clashes late last month.

The violence underlined problems Karzai faces in uniting the country and imposing stability as old ethnic and tribal rivalries surface in the wake of the Taliban's collapse.

More than 50 people were killed in the skirmishes.

Karzai accused Zadran of starting the fighting with heavy-handed tactics, but Zadran warned of more trouble unless he was reinstated.

In Abu Dhabi on Monday, Karzai appealed for more international peacekeepers to protect his government from tribal challengers.

Zadran said he had a force of about 6,000 fighters and he accused Saifullah of belonging to the al Qaeda network led by Osama bin Laden, chief suspect in the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Relations have been tense for years between Zadran of the Zadran clan of the Pashtun ethnic group and those of a local shura, or council, headed by Saifullah.

They deteriorated at the end of last year when Zadran called for U.S. strikes on a convoy carrying members of the council who wanted to take part in the inauguration of Karzai, according to the council.

Washington said the attack targeted remnants of the al Qaeda network. It was one of several incidents reported to have involved bombing errors based on faulty intelligence.