UN evacuates hundreds of staff from Afghanistan

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US Army Spc. Justin Moore, right, and Lt. Thomas Goodman return fire on Taliban positions as Taliban fighters ambush US soldiers.

KABUL, Nov 5 (Agencies): The United Nations said Thursday it would temporarily evacuate hundreds of its international staff from Afghanistan due to deteriorating security, a sharp blow for Western efforts to stabilize the country.
Spokesman Aleem Siddique said the United Nations would relocate about 600 of its roughly 1,100 international staff, with some being moved to safer sites within Afghanistan and the rest withdrawn from the country temporarily.
The move, a week after five U.N. foreign staff were killed by militants in Kabul, is a blow for US president Barack Obama's counter-insurgency war strategy, which foresees an influx of civilian assistance alongside extra troops.
Obama is due to decide within weeks whether to approve a request from his commander in Afghanistan for tens of thousands of additional troops. The US force in Afghanistan has already doubled in the nine months since Obama took office.
The United Nations said its evacuation would not disrupt its operations in the country.
"We remain committed to ensuring that all of our programs and activities continue. But obviously following the events of last week, we really do need to have a look at how we can ensure that our staff can continue those programs and activities, but at the same time we can protect their safety," Siddique said.
A U.N. statement said full details of the new measures would not be made public, adding: "It is expected that they will involve short-term relocations for some staff while additional security is being put in place."
The United Nations mission played a critical role in organizing elections in the country this year, and its agencies such as UNICEF run health, education and other programmes.
In last week's attack, Taliban suicide bombers hiding explosive vests under police uniforms entered a guest-house used by U.N. staff, killing five foreigners and prompting a security review by many of the international agencies in the country.
Meanwhile: In a country where corruption affects almost every aspect of daily life, a pledge by Afghanistan's reinstated President Hamid Karzai to clean up graft is being met with widespread scepticism.
Since being named president Monday by an election commission staffed by his appointees, Karzai has come under pressure from Western allies to eradicate what he called the "stain of corruption" from his government.
As US President Barack Obama considers requests from military commanders to deploy tens of thousands more troops to fight the Taliban insurgency, he urged Karzai to back his words with deeds.
Congratulations have poured in from world leaders, though many have attached warnings that Karzai must make substantial, rapid progress on eradicating corruption.