Karzai and General Stanley McChrystal met about 250 tribal elders and lawmakers in northeastern Kunduz province, which has seen a significant increase in Taliban attacks since early last year.

It is the second time in as many weeks that the pair have headed into the heart of the Afghan countryside to meet local leaders and comes a day after the general showed Karzai around NATO's heavily-fortified Kabul headquarters.

Last week, they travelled to the Taliban's spiritual heartland of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan to gauge local support for a major military offensive against the militants in the coming months.

Unity between the Afghan government and its international backers is seen as essential for the push and as a key peace conference or "jirga" and diplomatic meeting approach in the weeks ahead.

Observers say US and NATO commanders are keen to portray Karzai in a leadership role to dispel claims from militant groups that he is the "puppet" of foreign powers.

"There are common security interests and President Karzai is playing what we in the West consider to be a 'commander-in-chief role'," one US military official in Kabul told AFP.

"He approved the Marjah operation (in February) and last week he was involved in the political shaping prior to the Kandahar push. He's playing an increasing role."

Both sides have been keen to put behind them a row over Karzai's claim that foreign powers orchestrated the massive fraud that tarnished last year's presidential elections.

As in Kandahar last week, Karzai called on local leaders to participate in the May 2 peace conference, urged an end to violence and for the public to support his government.

"It (the government) is like a youngster that needs help. You must grab its hand until it's able to stand on its feet," he said.

The provincial governor, Mohammad Omar, said Kunduz used to be a pocket of Taliban resistance in the largely peaceful north and improving security was vital.

"There's need for a month-long operation," he said. "Later we ourselves can take care of it... If the security problems of Kunduz are not addressed, the situation would be worse than in Helmand and Kandahar."

Karzai was forced to cancel an address to nearly 200 Afghan and German soldiers responsible for security in the province due to security concerns.

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