Outgoing US commander gets highest Afghan honour

KABUL: President Hamid Karzai presented the outgoing commander of the US-led coalition with Afghanistan’s highest honour the other day in recognition of his work in the post-Taleban nation.

Karzai presented Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry with the Ghazi Amanullah Khan medal the day before the commander is due to leave the country at the end of his tour of duty.

The US-led coalition entered Afghanistan in 2001 at the helm of an invasion that toppled the extremist Taleban government from power. It is now hunting down Taleban and other militants behind a virulent insurgency. Eikenberry assumed command of the coalition in May 2005.

Since October last year he has been in command of about 12,000 US troops after about 11,000 came under the control of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force.

He has been nominated for the position of deputy chairman of Nato military committee in Brussels, a spokesman said.

The coalition will now be headed by two two-star generals.