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Article snippet: KABUL, Afghanistan — A powerful Afghan governor fired by the country’s president refused on Saturday to leave a post he has held for 13 years, raising fears that the escalating political tensions could undermine the country’s fragile security. Speaking to a crowd of about 2,000 people in Mazar-i-Sharif, the governor, Atta Muhammad Noor, said that President Ashraf Ghani did not have the power to unilaterally remove him because his party had half of the seats in the coalition government. “I have said many times that no one can remove me with a decree,” Mr. Noor said, adding that he would remain governor unless an understanding was reached. When the 2014 presidential election ended in a deadlock, the United States brokered a deal that made Mr. Ghani president and put the runner-up, Abdullah Abdullah, in a post similar to prime minister. Mr. Abdullah is a leader of Mr. Noor’s party, Jamiat-i-Islami. On Saturday, Mr. Noor called Mr. Abdullah a “snake up our own sleeve,” accusing him of plotting to weaken his own party from within the administration. Mr. Noor said he had realized that 80 percent of the effort to remove him had come from Mr. Abdullah, and the rest from the president. “Your teeth will not sink into us,” Mr. Noor said, referring to Mr. Abdullah. “We will break your teeth.” The crowd chanted: “Death to Dr. Abdullah.” Although Mr. Noor used his great wealth and power, accumulated over his years as governor, to back Mr. Abdullah in the presidential race, rel... Link to the full article to read more