U.N. pulls out foreign staff from Afghanistan

"At the moment we have 93 guest-houses across Kabul and there will be a consolidation of those guest-houses so that we can provide better security in fewer places," he said.

The United Nations mission played a critical role in organising elections in the country this year, and its agencies such as UNICEF run health, education and other programmes.

In last week's attack, Taliban suicide bombers hiding explosive vests under police uniforms entered a guest-house used by U.N. staff, killing five foreigners and prompting a security review by many of the international agencies in the country.

Two other international aid organisations have evacuated some of their non-essential staff since the attack last week, said Hashim Mayar of ACBAR, an umbrella organisation for local and international NGOs operating in Afghanistan.

A second round of the presidential election, which was to be held on November 7, was cancelled after President Hamid Karzai's only opponent withdrew, citing insufficient safeguards against fraud.

Former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah's decision not to stand meant Karzai was declared the winner, even though more than a quarter of his votes from the August 20 first round were thrown out after a fraud investigation.

The tainted election has hurt Karzai's standing among Western nations with troops fighting in Afghanistan, making Obama's decision about whether to send more troops even more difficult.

"WARLORDS AND POWER-BROKERS"

Adding to the complexity of Obama's decision, is rising anger at civilian casualties caused by Western forces, which the commander of all foreign forces, U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal, says undermines the Western mission.

On Thursday Afghan villagers protested against what they said was the killing of 11 civilians in an air strike by foreign troops, but local authorities said only fighters were killed.