Britain and US have 'Long way to go' in war, says Hamid Karzai

Published on Saturday 8 May 2010 20:09

BRITAIN and America have "miles to go" in Afghanistan, the war-torn nation's leader said yesterday.

President Hamid Karzai said international forces had still to secure huge swathes of his country from the Taleban and were harming their efforts to bring security to the region by killing civilians.

Karzai, in an article published in the Washington Post yesterday, said: "We have travelled far together, but the international effort in Afghanistan still has miles to go."

He published the piece ahead of a visit to the US tomorrow after several shaky months in his relations with US President Barack Obama.

Shortly after he did so the Taleban threatened to launch a fresh offensive in Afghanistan when Karzai was out of the country.

The Taleban said the new round of attacks, starting tomorrow, will include assassinations of government officials, roadside bombs and suicide attacks against foreigners and those who support them.

"All foreign invading forces will ultimately face defeat," the Taliban said in a statement sent from an e-mail address used by the militants.

An increase in violence is typical in spring as mountainous Afghanistan has harsh winters that limit travel and other activity.

Karzai, whose re-election last year was marred by reports of irregularities, spent yesterday at Bagram airfield, the base north of Kabul used by both the Soviet Union and the Americans as their main entry point into the country.

Karzai thanked US troops at the base for training Afghan forces. "When you're out in the fields in Afghanistan alongside Afghan soldiers it is like any other society," he said.

"There are families. There are children. There are women. There are elderly people. There are young people and people who are ill. I'm sure that you take appropriate and good care of the situation when you face it."

Obama wants to start pulling out troops in July 2011 if conditions allow. Karzai is eager to convince him that a longer-term commitment may be necessary.

Independent analysts last week said three-fifths of Afghans in areas recently recaptured by US, British and allied government troops were unhappy with Western involvement in the war.