President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan denied yesterday that the riots in Afghanistan that led to 16 deaths had been prompted by an article in Newsweek magazine, calling them instead "a political act against Afghanistan's stability".

"These demonstrations were in reality not related to the Newsweek story," he said at a joint press conference held after a meeting with President George W. Bush. "They were more against progress in Afghanistan and our strategic partnership with America. We know the people who were behind the demonstrations."