By Matt Blake and Reuters Reporter PUBLISHED: 04:33 EST, 11 March 2013 | UPDATED: 04:18 EST, 12 March 2013 Afghan President Hamid Karzai hijacked US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel's debut visit to the region yesterday by accusing America of conspiring with the Taliban. A day after two Taliban bombings killed 17 people, Karzai accused the United States and the Taliban of colluding to convince Afghans that foreign forces were needed beyond 2014, when NATO is set to wrap up its combat mission and most troops withdraw. 'Those bombs that went off in Kabul and Khost were not a show of force to America. They were in service of America. It was in the service of the 2014 slogan to warn us if they (Americans) are not here then Taliban will come,' Karzai said in a speech.
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Karzai implies US bid to convince Afghans that US forces needed after 2014
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He claims Saturday's Taliban bombs that killed 17 people 'in service of US'
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Hagel says collusion between US and Taliban 'wouldn't make a lot of sense'
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Hours after Karzai's speech, Hagel said he spoke 'clearly and directly' about the comments during his first meeting with the @placeholder leader since becoming U.S. defence secretary on February 27.
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@placeholder's government also alleged that U.S.-led forces and Afghans working with them were abusing and arresting university students.
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He was meant to have met his @placeholder counterpart there this weekend but the venue was later changed.