Afghan leader steps up criticism during Gates trip

The criticism came on the second day of a visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates intended to assess security progress but clouded by Afghan anger over the mistaken killing of nine boys in a NATO air strike last week.

With ties between Washington and Kabul at their lowest point in more than a year -- and Afghanistan facing a series of security milestones within weeks -- Gates arrived in Afghanistan on Monday to be met by a storm of complaints.

Karzai says civilian casualties are the greatest strain on relations with Washington and that international concern has also grown, with the fallout from recent incidents threatening to hamper peace and reconciliation efforts.

Karzai has come under criticism from the West lately over corruption and governance issues, most specifically over his government's handling of a private banking crisis that has put hundreds of millions of dollars at risk and could lead to the International Monetary Fund withdrawing its support.

With Gates visiting troops in the Taliban heartland in southern Afghanistan, Karzai ratcheted up his complaints, repeating criticism that "parallel institutions" like reconstruction teams were undermining Afghan efforts.

Likening tribal police units being set up by NATO-led forces to "militias", he also singled out private security firms and military/civilian provincial reconstruction teams as impediments to the development of Afghan institutions.