Afghan President Hamid Karzai criticized the U.S. and British conduct of the war in Afghanistan, insisting that his government must be accorded the lead in policy decisions.
In a New York Times interview published on Saturday, Karzai said he wanted U.S. forces to stop arresting suspected Taliban members and their sympathizers, saying that fear of arrest along with past mistreatment were discouraging them from coming forward and laying down their arms.
"It has to happen," he said of the end to such arrests. Karzai also said in the interview conducted on Friday that he did not have specific details about alleged mistreatment of people in custody.
Ousted from power in 2001 by U.S.-led and Afghan forces, the al-Qaida-backed Taliban has vowed to topple the Afghan government and drive out the foreign troops who back it. Nearly 12,000 people, including more than 330 foreign troops, have been killed in violence in the past two years.
Terror sanctuaries
Karzai, who faces re-election next year, criticized the U.S.-led coalition for what he characterized as carrying out the war on terrorism in Afghanistan's villages, and said the real threat was centered in Taliban and al-Qaida sanctuaries in neighboring Pakistan. "The sanctuaries must go, period," the Times quoted him as saying.
He also said that civilian casualties needed to stop, despite their numbers dropping significantly in the last year. "I am not happy with civilian casualties coming down; I want an end to civilian casualties," he said. "As much as one may argue it's difficult, I don't accept that argument."
Karzai added, "I must also be fair to say that our partners in America have recognized my concerns and have acted on them in good faith."
In calling for greater Afghan autonomy, Karzai said, "For the success of the world in Afghanistan, it would be better to recognize this inherent character in Afghanistan and work with it and support it."
"Eventually, if the world is to succeed in Afghanistan, it will be by building the Afghan state, not by keeping it weak," he told the Times at his presidential office.
Four cops killed
Meanwhile, roadside bombs killed four Afghan police officers Saturday in attacks by suspected Taliban militants, officials and a witness said.
A remote-controlled bomb destroyed a police vehicle in the Waghaz district of central Ghazni province, said deputy provincial police chief Mohammed Zaman.
An Associated Press Television News cameraman at the scene saw three burned, mutilated corpses. Four other officers were wounded and hospitalized, Zaman said.
In western Farah province, a bomb blast hit a police vehicle in Bala Buluk district, killing one officer and wounding another, provincial police chief Khalil Rahmani said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but Taliban militants often target Afghan police, who are less trained and worse equipped than the national army.
More than 900 police were among the 8,000 people reported killed in insurgency-related violence during 2007. A U.S. general this week predicted the violence could increase in 2008.