US AID agency prepares switch to Afghan security
The main US foreign aid agency is preparing to switch from private security contractors in Afghanistan to Afghan government-provided security this month under a new policy mandated by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, raising concern in Washington that this could put US civilians at greater risk.
``In Afghanistan, the United States is moving into a new phase, transferring responsibility for security to Afghan forces, starting to reduce American forces this summer and building a long-term partnership with the Afghan people,'' Obama told reporters when he announced his new team for Afghanistan.