NATO risks becoming 'occupying force': Karzai

Comments come after he issued "last warning" to foreign forces over civilian casualties.

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned Tuesday that the US-led Nato military in Afghanistan risks becoming an "occupying force" if aerial bombings which cause civilian casualties continue.

In some of his strongest remarks yet, Karzai also fired a shot across the bows of the international community by harking back to Afghanistan's long history of "dealing with occupying forces" such as the Soviet Union.

The comments came after he issued a "last warning" to foreign forces over civilian casualties following the killing of what Karzai said was 14 civilians in an air strike Saturday.

The Western-backed Afghan president has long criticised foreign forces over their mistaken killing of civilians as they hunt Taliban-led insurgents in the near 10-year war, and faces intense domestic pressure over the issue.

The Nato-led International Assistance Force (Isaf) insists it does all it can to limit deaths of innocent Afghans in the near ten-year war, but Karzai's relationship with the West has become increasingly strained in recent years.

"If after the Afghan government said the aerial bombing of Afghan houses is banned and if it continues, then their presence will change from a war against terrorism to an occupying force," Karzai told a press conference in Kabul.

"And in that case, Afghan history is witness to how the Afghans deal with occupying forces."

Karzai's remarks came after he issued a "last warning" to international troops over civilian deaths following Saturday's killing of what he said was 14 civilians including women and 11 children.

Isaf said the death toll was nine, and has apologised over the incident in the restive southern province of Helmand. It has not explained the discrepancy between its death toll and that of Afghan officials.

The president's comments made apparent reference to historic Afghan defeats of foreign invasions, including that by the Soviet Union, which entered Afghanistan in 1979 and withdrew 10 years later.

He also reiterated that international bombing attacks against Afghan homes were "banned".

"Their (foreign forces') presence here in Afghanistan is for the war against terror. They are not an occupying force," he said.

"That's why the people of Afghanistan so far have endured casualties and have given sacrifices. So these operations should not be used against Afghan people and their houses. That's why bombing Afghan houses is banned."

Karzai charges that the war on terrorism should be fought in Pakistan, where insurgents have rear bases, rather than in Afghanistan.

During a visit to Afghanistan on Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the country "is no longer a source of global terrorism", but still urged vigilance on the threat.

Local officials said that five girls, seven boys and two women were among the 14 people killed in Saturday's attack in Helmand.

However, Isaf said the strike was carried out after insurgents who had earlier killed a patrolling marine hid in a compound and carried on firing.

Western military figures say that it is a regular Taliban tactic to hide among civilians when they are being pursued by international forces.