Calling Afghan President Hamid Karzai an "unworthy partner," a key Democratic leader warned Friday that Congress cannot fund an expanded military mission without a reliable ally in Kabul.

LONDON (Reuters) - The Afghan government would quickly be overthrown if NATO troops pulled out of the country now, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Friday.

President Barack Obama will wait until after Americans mark Thanksgiving on November 26 to announce whether or not he sends reinforcements to Afghanistan, his spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

US President Barack Obama has put off a decision on whether to send reinforcements to Afghanistan until after next week's Thanksgiving holiday amid resistance to a troop buildup among key Democrats and criticism from the right.

President Barack Obama will wait until after Americans mark Thanksgiving on November 26 to announce whether or not he sends reinforcements to Afghanistan, his spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

US President Barack Obama has put off a decision on whether to send reinforcements to Afghanistan until after next week's Thanksgiving holiday amid resistance to a troop buildup among key Democrats and criticism from the right.

A rocket attack near the luxury Serena Hotel in Kabul wounded four people, including at least one member of the Afghan security forces, a spokesman for Afghanistan's health ministry said Saturday.

The European Union warned Afghan President Hamid Karzai Monday that international cooperation with his insurgency-hit country hinges on good governance and his willingness to battle corruption.

The Taliban will overrun Afghanistan if international troops pull out, former Afghan presidential challenger Abdullah Abdullah warned on Monday.

The Afghan government announced on Monday that it has formed a major crime unit to tackle corruption, in a move seen as bowing to international pressure to fight endemic graft.

The Afghan government said on Monday it had formed a major crime unit to tackle corruption, following escalating Western pressure on President Hamid Karzai to fight graft.

The Afghan government announced Monday that it has formed a major crime unit to tackle corruption, in a move seen as bowing to international pressure to fight endemic graft.

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan will form a new anti-corruption unit to investigate high-level graft after widespread criticism and demands from Washington for it to do more amid a wider regional strategy review.

The Afghan government said on Monday it had formed a major crime unit to tackle corruption, following escalating Western pressure on President Hamid Karzai to fight graft.

Eager to dispel its image as a rights abuser after "war on terror" prison scandals, the US has opened a new Afghan jail that critics say still falls short of basic legal standards.

EU officials question Afghan government's ability to face up to country's challenges. European Union officials questioned Monday whether Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government can face up to the country's challenges but did not echo a U.S. pledge to withhold civilian aid without more accountability.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Monday that al Qaeda remained the biggest threat to U.S. security, as his aides stepped up pressure on Afghanistan and Pakistan to cooperate with Washington's strategy in the troubled region.

President Barack Obama's drawn-out decision-making on Afghanistan is sending messages. To the Afghan government: Clean up your act. To the Pentagon: I'm no rubber stamp. To the American public: More troops can't be the sole answer.

The Afghan government said on Monday it had formed a major crime unit to tackle corruption, following escalating Western pressure on President Hamid Karzai to fight graft.

The Afghan government said Monday it had formed a major crime unit to tackle corruption, following escalating Western pressure on President Hamid Karzai to fight graft.