Karzai: Bagram prison 'Taliban-making factory'

KABUL -- Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has described the US military-run Bagram detention center as "Taliban-making factory," local newspapers reported on Sunday.

"Bagram prison is the factory for Taliban-making where innocent people are imprisoned and after being tortured and insulted they learned hatred against the country," the English daily Asia Times quoted President Karzai as saying.

President Karzai, according to the newspaper, made the remarks in talks with journalists in his Presidential Palace on Saturday amid strained relations with Washington over inking Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which is supposed to help the U.S. keep limited number of troops in Afghanistan after 2014 withdrawal of NATO-led forces from the militancy-hit country.

"I will not sign the security pact BSA until the US starts the peace process and peace is guaranteed in Afghanistan," Karzai said according to the paper.

Another newspaper "The Afghanistan Expresse" in its editorial on Sunday, described President Karzai's remarks as "anti-U.S. rhetoric," saying the move seems to be intentional with certain purposes which also could be related to the ongoing negotiation for a residual of American forces and upcoming presidential elections.

"It is quite reasonable to conclude that his move attempts to retain a foothold in Afghanistan's politics and preserve some sorts of power when the western alliance leaves Afghanistan this year," the paper said in its editorial.

"What the president should not neglect in that he is in the right position to shape Afghanistan's future relations with the world. And he should not ruin it. The people expect him to remain wise," The Afghanistan Express writes in its editorial.

The newspaper Daily Mandegar in its editorial described President Karzai's Sunday's remarks with regard to U.S. relations as "dangerous gambling" which encourages Taliban militants in their offensives.

"Aiming at ensuring personal interests, the president with such dangerous gambling would destroy all the achievements that Afghanistan has made over the past 12 years," Mandegar maintained in its editorial.