Afghan leader's warning over abuses

President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan says he will no longer tolerate abuses of power within his government.

He was speaking to a meeting of judges in Kabul.

Mr Karzai said that the government had given enough time and opportunity for different people to prove themselves -- if they misused the law and their position in the government, they would no longer be tolerated.

Correspondents say the warning was directed at regional warlords who have continued to run virtual fiefdoms in their own regions, engaging in battles with rivals and treating any central government interference as hostile.

He also called for the reconstruction of Afghanistan's legal system.

Earlier this week, a leading UN human rights expert, Asma Jahangir, said that an atmosphere of fear prevailed outside Kabul, and many people, particularly women, were prone to legal abuses.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service