U.N. wants more security for staff

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The United Nations in Afghanistan relocated 600 of its foreign staff for security reasons and warned Afghan President Hamid Karzai to "compose his government."

The decision to relocate personnel followed last week's militant attack on a U.N. guesthouse in Kabul in which five U.N. foreign staff members were killed. Kai Eide, the U.N. special representative, said the relocation would be a temporary but cautioned Karzai -- who has won re-election to another term as president -- the U.N. presence in Afghanistan could end, The Times of London reported.

"There is a belief that the international community (presence) will continue whatever happens because of the strategic importance of Afghanistan," Eide said. "I would like to emphasize that that's not true."

The Norwegian special representative said the United Nations "cannot afford any longer a situation where warlords and powerbrokers are playing their own game."

"It's up to the president to compose his government," the New York Times quoted Eide as saying. "What we said to President Karzai is: you have some competent people and you need more of them."

The New York Times quoted a U.N. official as saying the hope is the relocated staff would be able to return within three weeks to a month, but it could take longer to set up secure housing for them.

The Times of London, quoting a source, said the Taliban and al-Qaida are emboldened and "believe that one or two attacks more will cause the U.N. to leave."