Afghan forces to control 7 areas

KABUL, Afghanistan - President Hamid Karzai said on Tuesday that his security forces will soon take charge of securing seven areas around Afghanistan - the first step toward his goal of having Afghan police and soldiers protecting the entire nation by the end of 2014.

In a speech peppered with criticism of the international effort, Karzai said the provincial capitals of Lashkar Gah in southern Afghanistan, Herat in the west, Mazer-e-Sharif in the north and Mehterlam in the east are slated for transition from NATO-led forces to Afghan soldiers and police beginning in July.

In addition, all of Bamiyan and Panjshir provinces, which have seen little to no fighting, are on the transition list. Also slated for transition is Kabul province except for the restive Surobi district, which is along a main route to the Pakistan border and in proximity to dangerous areas of neighboring provinces, he said.