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Weeping Karzai laments Afghan woes
This year has been Afghanistan's bloodiest since the US-led invasion of 2001
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has broken down in tears during a speech to schoolchildren as he lamented the problems plaguing their country.
During a talk at a mixed-sex high school in central Kabul, he said he feared the war might force his young son to leave his homeland.
He lamented that Afghan children and teachers were afraid to go to school because of bombs and threats.
Earlier a suicide blast killed the deputy governor of Ghazni province.
Mr Karzai's nationally televised speech on Tuesday was designed to promote education in a country where as many as one-in-four people are thought to be illiterate.
The Afghan president began crying as he said he wanted people in his country to get an education and be self-sufficient.
"Our sons cannot go to school because of bombs and suicide attacks. Our teachers cannot go to school because of clashes and threats of assassination. Schools are closed," he said.
Referring to his three-year-old son, he added: "I want him to go to school here, I swear to God I'm worried, I'm worried, oh people, I'm worried. God forbid Mirwais should be forced to leave Afghanistan."
TV coverage of the speech to hundreds of teachers, students and officials showed some members of the audience were also crying.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ghazni province deputy governor Mohammad Kazim Allahyar, his son and nephew died in a suicide blast.
The bomber struck one of the group's two vehicles in Ghazni city, police chief Zarawar Zahid told news agency AP.
Police said Mr Allahyar was driving to work at the time of the bombing, which also killed three of his bodyguards.
Eight other people, including pedestrians, were injured.
Mr Allahyar had reportedly been in the job for seven years and survived a bombing just two months ago.
One report said that Tuesday's suicide bomber was on a motorcycle, another that the attacker was in a car.
Afghan government officials are often targeted by the Taliban for working with the government or international forces.
This year has been Afghanistan's bloodiest since the US-led invasion of 2001.
There are about 150,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan trying to defeat the insurgency ahead of a scaling down of US troops in the country expected to start next year.
Nato and Afghan forces have begun a military operation, Dragon Strike, which aims to eradicate the Taliban from the southern city of Kandahar and surrounding areas.
This year has been Afghanistan's bloodiest since the US-led invasion of 2001 Afghan President Hamid Karzai has broken down in tears during a speech to schoolchildren as he lamented the problems plaguing their country.
During a talk at a mixed-sex high school in central Kabul, he said he feared the war might force his young son to leave his homeland.
He lamented that Afghan children and teachers were afraid to go to school because of bombs and threats.
Earlier a suicide blast killed the deputy governor of Ghazni province.
Mr Karzai's nationally televised speech on Tuesday was designed to promote education in a country where as many as one-in-four people are thought to be illiterate.
The Afghan president began crying as he said he wanted people in his country to get an education and be self-sufficient.
"Our sons cannot go to school because of bombs and suicide attacks. Our teachers cannot go to school because of clashes and threats of assassination. Schools are closed," he said.
Referring to his three-year-old son, he added: "I want him to go to school here, I swear to God I'm worried, I'm worried, oh people, I'm worried. God forbid Mirwais should be forced to leave Afghanistan."
TV coverage of the speech to hundreds of teachers, students and officials showed some members of the audience were also crying.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ghazni province deputy governor Mohammad Kazim Allahyar, his son and nephew died in a suicide blast.
The bomber struck one of the group's two vehicles in Ghazni city, police chief Zarawar Zahid told news agency AP.
Police said Mr Allahyar was driving to work at the time of the bombing, which also killed three of his bodyguards.
Eight other people, including pedestrians, were injured.
Mr Allahyar had reportedly been in the job for seven years and survived a bombing just two months ago.
One report said that Tuesday's suicide bomber was on a motorcycle, another that the attacker was in a car.
Afghan government officials are often targeted by the Taliban for working with the government or international forces.
This year has been Afghanistan's bloodiest since the US-led invasion of 2001.
There are about 150,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan trying to defeat the insurgency ahead of a scaling down of US troops in the country expected to start next year.
Nato and Afghan forces have begun a military operation, Dragon Strike, which aims to eradicate the Taliban from the southern city of Kandahar and surrounding areas.