Afghan president says he will run for office again

[August 19, 2008]  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he would like to run for re-election next year.

Karzai tells The Associated Press in an exclusive interview that he has a job to complete and that "in that sense, yes, I would like to run."

Karzai has hinted in the past that he plans to run for the presidency in 2009, but his Tuesday announcement to AP is the first time he has stated so outright.

The Afghan president is a strong ally of the United States, but he has stepped up his criticism of international military forces in recent months for bombing runs that cause Afghan civilian deaths.

Karzai has been criticized for not stamping out corruption in the country and because he has little influence in the far reaches of the country.

[Associated Press]

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