Iran and US trade insults over Taliban-led violence

Afghanistan : Mr Ahmadinejad accused America of creating the terrorists it was now fighting. He was responding to comments Mr Gates had made about Iran playing a "double game" by trying to have a good relationship with the Afghanistan government while supporting the Taliban.

The Iranian president also spoke out against the presence of Western forces in the country, saying: "We do not see the presence of foreign military forces in Afghanistan as a solution for peace in Afghanistan."

The war of words broke out as both visited the country, with Mr Ahmadinejad speaking from Kabul Palace and Mr Gates from a military training base about six miles away. Speaking alongside Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, Mr Ahmadinejad asked the United States: "What are you doing here in the region? You are 12,000 kilometres away on the other side of the world. You are on the other side of the world. What are you doing here? This is a serious question."

He said the Americans were "playing a double game. They themselves created terrorists and say they want to fight against terrorism.

"We think the way to fight terrorism is through proper intelligence gathering, through respecting nations and to separate people from terrorists."

The comments were a reference to US help for the mujahideen who fought the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan during the 1980s. The fighters were supplied with weapons including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. Afghanistan plunged into chaos when the aid dried up.

Mr Gates described Mr Ahmadinejad's visit as "bothersome" and said it was "certainly fodder for all the conspiratorialists". He said: "We think Afghanistan should have good relations with all of its neighbours, but we also want all of Afghanistan's neighbours to play an upfront game in dealing with the government of Afghanistan."

He also said that US troops could withdraw from Afghanistan before the July, 2011, deadline set by President Barack Obama.

During a visit to the Pul-e-Charki training base in Kabul province, where Afghan soldiers are trained by British and US troops, Mr Gates said Afghan troops were eager to take responsibility for defending the country. "We will begin that transition no later than July, 2011, but the pace will depend also on conditions on the ground," he said. "We should not be too impatient."

The exchanges between Mr Ahmadinejad and Mr Gates, who left Afghanistan yesterday, came as David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, gave a speech in the US pressing the Afghan government to step up efforts for a political solution with the Taliban to bring the conflict to an end.
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