As the president of Afghanistan I look at the suffering of our people as a whole.

Who do we talk to?" Karzai told reporters. He noted that the Afghan militants are always welcome in the country although foreign insurgents are not.

He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001. During the December 2001 International Conference on Afghanistan in Germany Karzai was selected by prominent Afghan political figures to serve a six-month term as Chairman of the Interim Administration. After the 2004 presidential election Karzai was declared winner and became President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.