Karzai reportedly doubts U.S.

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KABUL, Afghanistan, June 12 (UPI) -- A former head of the Afghan intelligence service told The New York Times he believes President Hamid Karzai is trying to make a deal with the Taliban.

"The president has lost his confidence in the capability of either the coalition or his own government to protect this country," Amrullah Saleh said in an interview reported Saturday. "President Karzai has never announced that NATO will lose, but the way that he does not proudly own the campaign shows that he doesn't trust it is working."

Saleh said he and Interior Minister Hanif Atmar resigned their posts after showing Karzai evidence the Taliban was responsible for attacks on a meeting of Afghan leaders last week to discuss a truce. Another official who did not want his name used told the Times Karzai said he did not believe the Taliban carried out the attacks on the peace jirga.

"The president did not show any interest in the evidence -- none -- he treated it like a piece of dirt," Saleh said.

Observers say the rift between Karzai and the United States began with last year's Afghan general election. Monitors said the voting had been rigged on Karzai's behalf.

A Western diplomat said the president believes the criticism "stole his legitimacy," which was followed by U.S. President Barack Obama's announcement he would begin pulling troops out next year.