Afghan president criticizes U.S. handling of war

In an interview with The New York Times on April 25, President Hamid Karzai forcefully criticized British and American forces for their handling of the war in Afghanistan.

Karzai addressed several points, but focused on the high number of civilian casualties and the aggressive campaign of arrests that were scaring away Taliban fighters looking to lay down their arms and assimilate. Karzai said that coalition forces should be looking for its enemies in the terrorist sanctuaries of northern Pakistan and "not in Afghan villages."

These comments came as Karzai begins his re-election campaign in the face of domestic and international criticism. Both Afghan and international politicians have labeled him as weak and inefficient in his dealings with corrupt warlords and his efforts to curb narcotics trafficking.

For the full article, click here.