“Kabul’s angry response deepens a war of words that threatens to derail NATO attempts to ensure a smooth security transition as international troops head home and fears grow that Afghanistan could tip into further instability. The United States, which provides 66,000 of the 100,000 NATO-led troops in Afghanistan, was stunned by the accusations earlier this month from Karzai, who accused the US of colluding with the Taliban to justify its presence in the country. The United States on Tuesday warned Afghanistan that ensuring a credible presidential election next year would be ‘critical’ to maintaining international support after 2014.”
