Afghan President repeats peace call

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has opened this year's first session of parliament, where he repeated his call to Taliban fighters to renounce al-Qaida and join mainstream society.

During his speech, Karzai held up a picture of an eight-year-old girl. He said she was the only one left to recover the bodies of her 12 relatives, all killed when two NATO rockets struck their home during the offensive in the southern town of Marjah.

He called the incident a tragedy for all Afghanistan.

Hamid Karzai, Afghan President, said, "The movement of Taliban, Hezb-e-Islami and other groups who are still involved in fighting must know that they share a large responsibility for this."

In this photo released by Presidential Palace, Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during the opening session of Afghan Parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Presidential Palace)