Kabul envoy: No more troops

The US ambassador in Kabul has argued against sending thousands more American troops to Afghanistan.

Writing to the White House, Karl Eikenberry expressed doubts about the competence of, and corruption within, President Hamid Karzai's government.

The strongly worded cable, which has been leaked, was delivered as President Barack Obama continued to delay his decision on how many more troops to deploy.

Mr Eikenberry, a former US commander in Afghanistan, said it was "not a good idea" to send more troops, according to the BBC. He is a prominent voice among those advising Mr Obama and his sharp dissent is sure to affect the debate.

Mr Obama has resisted what one official called a "one-way highway" toward commander General Stanley McChrystal's recommendations for 40,000 more troops.