Afghan leader condemns air strike as Gates arrives

Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned on Thursday an air strike by NATO-led forces which he said killed 10 election campaign workers, although U.S. officials maintained it was aimed at an Islamist leader. Civilian casualties caused by foreign forces hunting militants have caused major tension between Karzai and his Western allies. The latest incident came at a bad time as Defense Secretary Robert Gates landed for unannounced talks. Gates's arrival was also overshadowed by renewed worries about corruption, one of Washington's biggest concerns in Afghanistan, after two officials from the country's top private bank left their positions amid allegations of graft. Gates flew into the Afghan capital from Iraq, where he attended ceremonies to mark the end of U.S. combat operations.