CHEAT SHEET
TOP 10 RIGHT NOW
Does this mean Blackwater can get a foot back in the door? International aid groups may get an exemption from Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s ban on private security firms. Kabul has insisted the private firms undermine the Afghan army and police forces. Karzai has asked for a list of national aid projects requiring an exemption. NGO’s have said the ban, which requires all private firms to leave Afghanistan by Dec 17, will force them to stop operating in the war-torn country. Some Afghan officials have called for funds to be redirected to the notoriously corrupt Afghan police. Diplomats have said aid groups are essential to winning “hearts and minds” in the fight against the Taliban.