Nato braced for attack as Karzai is sworn in

Nato forces in Afghanistan are expecting a Taliban offensive this week as foreign ministers gather in Kabul for the swearing-in of President Hamid Karzai for his second term in office. Although his election victory was widely perceived in the West as fraudulent, Karzais inauguration speech on Thursday is due to be attended by David Miliband, the foreign secretary, and Hillary Clinton, the American secretary of state. Nato commanders believe the Taliban will attempt to disrupt the day, with an attack in Kabul or an atrocity elsewhere. With the announcement of a big increase in American troop numbers expected soon, Britain and the United States want the Afghan leader to match this foreign commitment with a pledge to throw his weight behind the war. There is a sense from Karzai, sometimes, that this is someone elses war. He needs to show this is a battle to defend the heart and soul of his own country, said a senior Nato source. Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, who is travelling to Washington this week, is expected to convey No 10s impatience with the time that it has taken the White House to decide how many extra troops to send.