Karzai opposes long-term presence of foreign troops

By Sayed Salahuddin

KABUL (Reuters) - President Hamid Karzai said on Thursday he opposed the long-term presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan, adding any new U.S. strategy to tackle militancy must involve a greater role for his government.

Some 71,000 troops under the command of the U.S. military and NATO are in Afghanistan where the al Qaeda-backed Taliban, ousted in a U.S.-led invasion in 2001, have made a comeback since 2005.

Western commanders have not given a timeframe for any troop pullout, saying it depended on how soon Afghan forces can stand on their feet.

"Ultimately, we through our forces, measures and resources should protect our land," Karzai said in response to a question about foreign forces at a news conference. "It is natural that the international community cannot stay here forever and it is not good for us that they stay (for a long time)."

Anger has been mounting in Afghanistan after a spike in civilian casualties in coalition air strikes in recent weeks and opened up a rift between the Karzai government and the Western coalition forces that back it.

"We are a country with (a history of) several thousand years and are proud of our history ... and our bravery," Karai said. "Then a brave nation should not rely for long on others for its living."

Karzai said it was necessary for the United States to change its strategy.

"It means that we go to those areas which are the training bases and havens of (terrorists) and we jointly go there and remove and destroy them."