Controversy clouds Karzai's US visit

Mr Karzai has hosted UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan

By BBC world affairs correspondent Mike Donkin in Kabul

Afghanistan's interim leader Hamid Karzai is starting a visit to the United States amid growing controversy over the continuing American-led military campaign.

Mr Karzai is due to hold talks with President George W Bush at the White House, which had been expected to focus on reconstruction and security in the country-side.

But villagers in eastern Afghanistan have been protesting at the US bombing, which they say is killing not Taleban fighters, but ordinary civilians.

They want Mr Karzai to call for the raids to stop while he is in Washington.

'Innocent civilians dying'

What really happened when US special forces targeted Taleban compounds at Hazar Qadam north of Kandahar, is now hotly disputed.

Mr Karzai has already met several key world figures

The US insists its bombing raid three days ago killed 15 al-Qaeda fighters. But village elders say the 15 had been sent to the compound by a pro-government official to negotiate the surrender of weapons from Taleban hideouts.

Across eastern Afghanistan the US continues to bomb - mopping up the last of the Taleban, it says.

But there too protests are growing, as people say it is innocent civilians who are dying.

The controversy will cloud what would otherwise have been a very warm meeting in Washington between Mr Karzai and President Bush.

The White House has been impressed with - and surprised by - how the interim government has wielded power in its first month.

The US still has concerns about security outside Kabul, and there will be talks about reinforcing the international troop presence to tackle that.

But Mr Bush may now find himself under pressure as well - to finally stop the bombing.