The big reliever is now with Texas after being dealt

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has given U.S. special forces two weeks to leave a key battleground province after some U.S. soldiers there were found to have tortured or even killed innocent people, the president's spokesman said on Sunday.

The decision by Karzai could further complicate negotiations between the United States and Afghanistan over the presence of Americans troops in the country once most NATO forces leave by the end of 2014.

Speaking at a news conference in Kabul, Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi said villagers in Wardak province had lodged a series of complaints about operations conducted by U.S. special forces and a group of Afghans working with them.

The decision was reached at a Sunday meeting of the Afghan National Security Council, chaired by Karzai, Faizi said.

"The Ministry of Defense was assigned to make sure all U.S. special forces are out of the province within two weeks," he said.

"After a thorough discussion, it became clear that armed individuals named as U.S. special forces stationed in Wardak province were engaging in harassing, annoying, torturing and even murdering innocent people," Faizi added.

A statement from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan said: "US Forces Afghanistan is aware of the reporting of Presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi's comments today. We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and go to great lengths to determine the facts surrounding them.

"But until we have had a chance to speak with senior Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan officials about this issue, we are not in a position to comment further."

Sunday's announcement came days after Karzai issued a decree banning all Afghan security forces from using NATO air strikes in residential areas, in a bid to curb civilian casualties.

That was in response to an operation in Kunar targeting four Taliban members which resulted in the deaths of ten civilians, including five children, during an air strike.

Karzai has long warned his Western backers that the killing of civilians could sap support for the foreign troops in the country and fuel the insurgency. Josh Lindblom has had a unique experience while playing only one full season in the major leagues: He has already been traded twice for All-Star players.

The big reliever is now with Texas after being dealt during baseball's winter meetings from Philadelphia with another pitcher for longest-tenured Rangers player Michael Young. That came less than six months after Lindblom had gone from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Phillies in a four-player deal for Shane Victorino.

"I don't think you ever get used to having to pick up and move cities and teammates," Lindblom said. "It's kind of like the first day of school all over again."

More unique for Lindblom is that both times he changed teams, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound right-hander basically replaced a long-time fan favorite on the roster.

"Coming here and replacing Michael, I don't look at it that way. I kind of got caught up in that when I went to Philly, coming in and trying to be what Shane was to that city and to that team," he said. "Just realizing that I can only be me, so you know when I come in here, I can't be Michael Young, I can't be the person that he was for the community, for the team, for the city. Michael Young is going to go down as one of the greatest Rangers ever to put on a uniform."

Victorino played 7 1/2 seasons in Philadelphia, where he was twice an All-Star before the non-waiver deadline deal last July 31. Young was a seven-time All-Star infielder for the Rangers, spending a dozen years with a team that went from last place to consecutive World Series appearances and becoming their career hits leader.

While Lindblom is wearing the No. 25 jersey that belonged to Mike Napoli, the slugging catcher who left in free agency for Boston last winter, at least it's not Young's No. 10.

"All we want (Lindblom) to do is be Josh Lindblom," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "If he tries to live up to the expectation that Michael Young had around here, then he's barking up the wrong tree because there's nobody going to fill those shoes. ... Just be Josh and he'll be fine."

Lindblom said he has come to the realization that he can only be himself and that the Rangers traded for him "for a reason, because they think I can help this club."

Lindblom is expected to be a primary setup man in a vastly changed Rangers bullpen. He struck out the side in his only inning of his first instrasquad game a week into camp.

In a combined 74 appearances last season for the Dodgers and Phillies, Lindblom had a 3.55 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 35 walks over 71 innings. He had a 4.63 ERA in 26 games after being sent to Philadelphia.

"There's kind of a bitterness toward the team that traded you. Because I figured I would always be with L.A," Lindblom said of the team that picked him in the second round of the 2008 draft. "I love that organization, but trying to justify the trade, trying to go out and be like you know what, you got me for a reason, I'm here to do a job. You feel like you have to be lights out and that's not the case at all."