U.S. says Afghan president's charges "troubling"

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai's charges that foreign powers are responsible for election fraud in his country was "troubling" and the U.S. is seeking his clarification on these remarks, the White House said on Friday.

Karzai on Thursday voiced accusations about fraud in the Afghan election, blaming it on the foreign powers. He also said the West wants to see him weak, without specifying the name of the countries he is referring to.

U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley rejected these charges on Thursday in a press briefing.

"It's less about us. It really is more about what Karzai to do in the eyes of his people, and what they want to see in the future in terms of more effective governance at the national level and, in particular, more effective governance at the local level," said Crowley.

U.S. President Barack Obama's recent sudden visit to Afghanistan is widely seen as aimed to pressure Karzai to make serious efforts to rein in corruption in the country.