'Defiant' Karzai says Afghanistan does not need US troops post-2014 withdrawal

Outgoing Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said the country does not need US troops.

In his final address to Afghanistan's parliament, Karzai told the United States its soldiers can leave at the end of the year because his military, which already protects 93 percent of the country, was ready to take over entirely.

According to news24, Karzai reiterated he would not sign a pact with the United States that would provide few US troops to remain behind after the final withdrawal, unless peace could first be established.

Karzai said the war in Afghanistan was 'imposed' on his nation, presumably by the 2001 invasion.

He told the United States it could bring peace to Afghanistan if it went after terrorist sanctuaries and countries that supported terrorism, a reference to Pakistan.

Karzai told parliament, which was holding its opening session for this term, that security forces were strong enough to defend Afghanistan without the help of international troops, the report added.