Afghan dictator a better bet: British envoy

NEW YORK - The British ambassador to Afghanistan believes the US strategy there is failing, NATO reinforcements would be counterproductive and it would be better if an "acceptable dictator" came to power in Kabul in the next few years, according to The New York Times.

The comments attributed to Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles were included in a diplomatic cable from a French diplomat in Kabul which was obtained by Le Canard Enchaine, a satirical magazine.

Reporting on a meeting on September 2, French diplomat Jean-Francois Fitou quoted Sir Sherard as saying: "The American strategy is destined to fail. The coalition presence, particularly the military presence, is part of the problem, not the solution."