US defence chief blasts Karzai
- Published: 6 Oct 2012 at 09.49
- Online news: Asia
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has voiced frustration with Afghan President Hamid Karzai preferring to "criticise" American troops, rather than acknowledging the sacrifices they have made.
Panetta, who arrived in Peru late Friday to begin a Latin American tour, told reporters aboard the military plane taking him to Lima that Karzai should remember that more than 2,000 US troops have died in Afghanistan.
The angry riposte came after Karzai said on Thursday that the United States was failing to go after militants based in Pakistan, another charge that Panetta chose to hit back at.
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