Kandahar leaders give go-ahead for offensive, Karzai says

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, were in Kandahar Sunday to sell their plan of an upcoming military operation in the province. And according to Karzai, the meetings were successful. After a meeting with about 300 people Karzai said the leaders have given him the green light to start a military operation in the province that was once a Taliban stronghold. With McChrystal in the front row, Karzai delivered a full-court press to the group of leaders Sunday, trying to get their support. The group sat on carpets and cushions on the floor as they listened to Karzai passionately talk about increasing security and ending corruption. He also had a strong message for the Taliban. "First I call on the Taliban for peace. Do not kill your country men and children. Do not kill innocents," Karzai said. "Separate yourself from al Qaeda and the terrorists." Karzai did not say when the upcoming military operation but did say American soldiers would have a role in it.