Afghanistan seeks more control of NATO troops

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — The government here has sent NATO headquarters a draft agreement that would give Afghanistan more control over future NATO deployments in the country -- including the positioning of some U.S. troops, officials said.

The draft technical agreement would establish rules of conduct for NATO-led troops and require that additional NATO troops and their locations be approved by the Afghan government.

The agreement also would prohibit NATO troops from searching Afghan homes.

President Hamid Karzai, who met with U.S. Gen. David H. Petraeus and discussed the prevention of civilian deaths and the role of Afghan forces in U.S. missions, told legislators that his government sent the draft agreement to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization about two weeks ago.

Addressing parliament at its opening session, a frustrated Karzai said the U.S. and other Western military allies have not heeded his calls to stop airstrikes in civilian areas in Afghanistan. He warned that the fight against militants cannot be won without popular support from Afghans.