Major General Peter Fuller, a top US commander in Afghanistan, was relieved of his duties on Friday after making comments critical of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a senior US defence official said. US General John Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, relieved Fuller as deputy commander of the effort to train Afghan security forces after Fuller told the Politico newspaper that Afghan leaders were "isolated from reality," the official said.
Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters earlier on Friday that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was aware of the remarks and Fuller had been speaking for himself and not the US Defense Department. "The secretary has full trust and confidence in General Allen's judgement with respect to his decision in this case," Little said in response to Allen's decision to relieve Fuller of his duties. Speaking in a Politico interview that ran on Thursday, Fuller depicted Afghan officials as detached and unappreciative of American sacrifices and financial contributions to Afghanistan after 10 years of war.