Afghan President Hamid Karzai appeared to stiffen his resolve Saturday not to sign a security pact with Washington, saying the United States should leave Afghanistan unless it could restart peace talks with the Taliban. "In exchange for this agreement, we want peace for the people of Afghanistan. Otherwise, it's better for them to leave and our country will find its own way," Karzai told a news conference.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for a car bomb that exploded outside a U.S. Consulate in the western Afghanistan province of Herat on Friday, followed by a gunfight between security forces and fighters. At least seven people -- three security-force members and four attackers -- were reportedly killed.