Afghan government not delivering, governor says

KABUL, July 13 (Reuters) An Afghan provincial governor has lashed out against the government of President Hamid Karzai, saying there was a ''vacuum of authority'' in remote areas that the Taliban or criminals would fill.

In rare public criticism of the Karzai's leadership by a senior official, the governor of Kapisa province, Abdul Sattar Murad, also said Pakistan intelligence officers promoted the Taliban.

''In terms of internal factors, the government cannot deliver, and this is a problem,'' Murad said in an interview with Newsweek magazine in its latest issue.

''As a governor, I'm not supposed to say this, but I see that we cannot deliver what we are expected to.'' Kapisa is northeast of Kabul and has seen a series of attacks by resurgent Taliban in recent months.

Frustration is growing among Afghans with the government over deteriorating security, civilian casualties, corruption, crime, and a perceived lack of economic development.

Karzai has been leading Afghanistan since shortly after US-led troops overthrew the Taliban government in 2001.

''What's missing is leadership. Afghanistan (is) at this critical moment of its history, we don't have a leadership that can unite the national leaders, which can see the needs of people and respond to them,'' the American-educated Murad said.

''All the political parties are now drifting away from national leadership. All over the country, the people are distancing themselves from the government.

''In remote parts of the country there is particularly a vacuum of authority, a vacuum of power. Somebody will have to fill that vacuum. Either the criminals fill that vacuum or the Taliban and al Qaeda do.'' He also said the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq would increase risks for Afghanistan.

''This would send the wrong signal to al Qaeda all over the world. For Iraq, I'm afraid it would be a disaster. For Afghanistan, if that kind of atmosphere prevails, it would be very dangerous,'' he said.

REUTERS ARB VC1805