President Hamid Karzai criticized the U.S.-led coalition's anti-terror campaign Thursday, deploring the deaths of hundreds of Afghans and appealing for more help for his government.
Karzai's sharp assessment came as Osama bin Laden's deputy urged Afghans to revolt against coalition forces, and four more U.S. soldiers were killed.
More than four years after U.S.-led forces toppled the extremist Taliban government, Afghanistan is gripped by its deadliest spate of post-invasion violence. To try curb the bloodshed, more than 10,000 coalition forces have launched a major offensive against militants across southern Afghanistan. More than 600 people, mainly militants, have been killed since May.
But Karzai, who has previously scorned large-scale anti-militant campaigns, rejected the continued spilling of Afghan blood in military operations.
"It is not acceptable for us that in all this fighting, Afghans are dying. In the last three to four weeks, 500 to 600 Afghans were killed. (Even) if they are Taliban, they are sons of this land," a clearly frustrated Karzai told reporters in Kabul.
On Thursday, Afghan and coalition forces raided a Taliban compound northwest of Tirin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan province, killing eight militants, the coalition said. Six others were captured.
Karzai said the current focus on hunting militants didn't address terrorism's root causes. "We must engage strategically in disarming terrorism by stopping their sources of supply of money, training, equipment and motivation," he said.
He also said the war on terror needs to be broadened beyond Afghan borders.
"We are concerned about the increase of attacks in our country," he said. "Some of the reasons are the internal weakness of administration in our country, but most of the factors are foreign factors, terrorism and organized attacks."
He did not elaborate on which "foreign factors" were involved, but many Afghan officials have accused neighboring Pakistan of doing too little to catch Taliban militants planning attacks. Islamabad denies the claims.
Karzai said Afghanistan has received considerable help in reconstruction but has been given inadequate assistance to strengthen its police force, army and government administration.
Another business venture totally screwed up by Bush and then left to die on the vine.
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