Afghan Soldiers Told to Come Unarmed to Panetta Meeting
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When Afghan troops gathered today for a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta at the U.S. Marine Corps’ Camp Leatherneck in southern Afghanistan, they were told to leave their weapons behind.
A commander ordered all the soldiers with weapons to go and stack them outside the canvas-covered hangar before Panetta arrived to speak to about 200 troops from 11 countries and their Afghan partners. About 20 Afghans at the meeting didn’t have to because Panetta’s security detail had requested that they come unarmed in the first place, said Marine Master Sergeant Brenda Varnadore, a military spokeswoman.