Afghan President Hamid Karzai warns NATO-led forces risk being seen as occupying force rather than allies

Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned NATO-led forces in Afghanistan on Tuesday they were at risk of being seen as an occupying force rather than an ally after a spate of civilian casualties, and said he would take unspecified "action" if they continue.

Karzai said raids on Afghan homes in pursuit of insurgents were "not allowed," and added that the patience of the Afghan people with the tactic had run out. He underlined the challenge of winning popular support for an increasingly violent war.

"We see NATO from the point of view of an ally ... If they don't stop air strikes on Afghan homes, their presence in Afghanistan will be considered as an occupying force and against the will of the Afghan people," he told reporters.

The Afghan leader warned the tactics were a violation of Afghanistan's sovereignty. "They must stop bombarding Afghan homes ... If they do not, the Afghan government will be forced to take unilateral action," Karzai said, declining to go into detail about what his government would do if the tactics were not stopped.

Karzai said he had warned NATO commanders "a hundred times," and hoped to meet them again this week to reinforce that message.

Meanwhile, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said General David Petraeus, the commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, understood that a "liberation force" could be seen over time as an occupation force because of incidents such as civilian casualties. "We are in agreement with President Karzai on the importance of constantly examining our actions in light of that reality," Rear Admiral Vic Beck, director of ISAF public affairs, said in a statement.