Mohammad Daud.

On 9 December, I ran an item in which carried a Times report that President Karzai had sacked Mohammad Daud as Governor of Helmand. Afgha.com now carries a story in which Daud denies has been sacked and says he was misquoted by the Sunday Times. Government officials in Kabul are saying nothing.

Two possibilities come to mind. Either the Times got it wrong or the British had a quiet, but firm, word in Karzai's ear, possibly suggesting a connection between his continuing authority in Helmand and the British army's presence there.

According to today's Times report on an attempted assassination of Daud, he has been sacked, but is still in office and preparing to leave.

The IHT lists recent assassination attempts in Afghanistan.

Tags: Afghanistan, Daud, Helmand