US denies visa to Afghan Vice President Dostum

NEW YORK, April 26 (APP): Afghanistan’s vice president Abdul Rashid Dostum, who was once described by US State Department as “the quintessential warlord”, has been denied an American visa for his alleged war crimes, including the killing of hundreds of Taliban prisoners by his militia, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Dostum, a leader from the ethnic Uzbek minority, was eager to visit Washington and discuss how best to overcome the Taliban, but US officials found themselves in the unusual position of threatening to deny him a visa this month, the newspaper said. The message was passed to the Afghan government days before Dostum was to leave for a trip to New York and Washington, the report quoted multiple Afghan and US officials as saying.
To avoid a “humiliating public spectacle”, the Afghan government quietly canceled Dostum’s visit, the report said.