Obama decries 'senseless' Rabbani killing

NEW YORK: US President Barack Obama said Tuesday the assassination of former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani was a "senseless act of violence" that would not crush the Afghan drive for freedom.

Obama offered condolences for the "tragic loss" as he met Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai in New York hours after the killing in Kabul of Rabbani, who was leading government peace outreach to the Taliban.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who like Obama was in New York for meetings in the runup to the UN General Assembly, said the United States "condemns in the strongest terms the assassination" of Rabbani.

"We extend our condolences to his family, and to all the people of Afghanistan, including those who were injured, and the families of those who lost their lives," Clinton said in a statement.

"We will support the Afghan government as they pursue the ones responsible for this cowardly attack and bring them to justice. And we will continue to increase pressure on al Qaeda and the Taliban," the chief US diplomat said.

"We have always known that there are those who will do all they can to undermine the cause of peace and reconciliation. We will see more violence before this is over," she said.

"But the Afghan people will not be deterred from pursuing a more peaceful, democratic future for their country and we will continue to stand with them and support their efforts." (AFP)