Kanzai ired US allied with comments with local leaders in Afganisthan.
Kanzai told tribal elders on Sunday that government officials should not let "foreigners" interfere in their work.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, center, surrounded by his body guards walks through Kandahar city, south of Kabul,
The United States suggested on Tuesday it might cancel a meeting between President Barack Obama and President Hamid Karzai in the White House next month if the Afghan leader persisted with anti-Western comments.
Intensifying tensions between the two nations, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that a series of critical comments by Karzai was "troubling" and "confusing".
Pressed to say whether the May 12 meeting might be called off, Gibbs told reporters: "We certainly would evaluate whatever continued or further remarks President Karzai makes, as to whether that's constructive to have such a meeting."
Among comments that have angered his backers, Karzai accused embassies of perpetrating election fraud in Afghanistan last year and of seeking to weaken him. He told tribal elders on Sunday that government officials should not let "foreigners" interfere in their work.
Asked whether Karzai was still viewed as an ally of the United States after those comments, Gibbs replied: "Karzai is the democratically elected leader of Afghanistan."
Initially the Obama administration sought to play down Karzai's comments saying they were aimed at placating his domestic audience. But in recent days, Gibbs and others have taken a tougher line.
"We will not hesitate to ensure that the remarkable investment that our men and women are making is met with the type of governance that has to be in place in order to secure parts of a dangerous country," said Gibbs.
The White House earlier said it was frustrated on behalf of the American public, and invoked the sacrifice made by families who send their loved ones off to fight in the Afghanistan war.
There are more than 120,000 Western troops in Afghanistan, including more than 80,000 Americans, set to rise to 100,000 Americans this year.
CONGRESSIONAL IRE
Karzai's anti-Western tone was particularly embarrassing for the White House as it came days after Obama made his first trip to Afghanistan since he took office in January 2009.
During that trip, Obama pushed the Afghan government hard on tackling corruption, a longtime irritant for Washington.
Karzai's outbursts have also raised the hackles of U.S. lawmakers whose support is crucial to fund the war effort.
Prominent Democratic Representative Jane Harman added to a chorus of complaints, telling Reuters that Obama should reassess whether Karzai was a "willing partner" needed for his counterinsurgency strategy to work.
"Karzai's recent comments are extremely troubling and I am personally very disappointed in his effort to control corruption in his country," said Harman, chairwoman of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence.
She added: "I'm somewhat skeptical we can achieve our objectives in Afghanistan."
Karzai has sought to ease tensions with the Obama administration, calling U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last Friday to clarify his remarks but not to apologize. Two days later, he made more disparaging comments.
Public support for the Taliban hit an "all-time high" in Kandahar province last spring just as the United States was preparing to pour in the first wave of military reinforcements, polling data compiled by the Canadian military suggests.
The data, obtained by The Canadian Press under access to information laws, provide a fascinating look at the disenchantment of ordinary Afghans, and perhaps illustrate the method behind the madness of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's recent anti-Western rants.
The survey, conducted as part of the military's spring 2009 campaign assessment, illustrates just how much resistance there was even a year ago to the growing U.S. troop buildup in Kandahar.
"International economic assistance is heavily preferred over military assistance," the report said of Afghan public opinion.
A startling 25 per cent of those asked said they had a favourable view of the Taliban, including six per cent with a "very favourable" opinion.
A human rights group said the sentiments captured in the poll are still present today and cast doubt on whether Karzai will get unanimous public support in Kandahar for NATO's forthcoming offensive.
On Sunday, the president said the sweep would not proceed if locals didn't want it.
In remarks to Afghan parliamentarians last week, Karzai accused the United States and other Western governments of wanting a "puppet government" in Afghanistan and alleged they engineered widespread fraud during last fall's corrupt national elections.
He later dropped another bombshell, telling a number of Afghan members of parliament that if foreigners continued to meddle in Afghanistan, he'd be forced "to join the Taliban."
On Tuesday, the White House said it would consider cancelling Karzai's scheduled visit next month if his remarks continue to be troubling.
"We certainly would evaluate whatever continued or further remarks President Karzai makes as to whether that's constructive to have such a meeting," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said of the visit.
Karzai is scheduled to meet May 12 with U.S. President Barack Obama.
One of the survey's most important findings was the growing mistrust of NATO troops, where a full one-third said they had an unfavourable impression of foreign soldiers.
"The Taliban (is) not winning public consent," said the study. "Afghans still strongly prefer the (government of Afghanistan), but confidence is waning due to lack of security, justice, basic services."
The report's analysis focused on the tide of rising violence that followed the spectacular attack on Sarpoza prison in June 2008, a seminal event that ground commanders hoped would only dent public confidence.
As it turned out, the perception of insecurity it created was long-standing and the numbers did not "bounce back" as expected, the survey noted.
"Fewer Kandaharis report feeling safe than in previous polls; more believe that security is worsening than improving," said the study, carried out in February 2009.
The poll was conducted in most major provincial districts, but the military did not release details about the sample size or methodology. The army has been conducting regular surveys of the Afghan population since 2007.
Ajmal Samadi, director of the human-rights group Afghanistan Rights Monitor, said foreigners have a hard time understanding the complexity of political culture in Kandahar and assume that just because they hate the Taliban, everyone hates the hard-line Islamist group.
"People look at it as though the Taliban - and even Al-Qaida - did not harm them, even though they were harsh," Samadi said Tuesday in an interview from Kabul.
The western media often refers to Kandahar as the birthplace of the Taliban, without ever thinking about what that really means, he added.
"The Taliban is still a political force in Kandahar. It is the reality on the ground," Samadi said.
"They governed Afghanistan from Kandahar. They made people feel strong. They felt empowered under the Taliban. They felt safe. And now that is all gone. Look at what is happening now with corruption. The road to Kabul is not safe."
The governor of the province didn't dispute the poll findings, but said that the people in some rural areas are compelled to cast their vote for the insurgency.
"The people in the villages and rural areas are hostages," Tooryalai Wesa said Tuesday night in an interview. "They are forced to say they support the Taliban in areas where the government is still weak. They have to compromise."
He said he believes that once the offensive is explained to people, they will support it because privately many district leaders acknowledge that there are pockets of insurgents that must be cleared out.
"There is a misconception," said Wesa. "They were thinking it was tanks. They were thinking it was artillery. They were thinking it was bombing."
Once the governance aspects are explained, Wesa said, people become more receptive.
Samadi scoffed at that argument, saying people are jaded after eight years of unfulfilled promises from Karzai, whom they see as being out for only for his own tribe, the Popalzai.
"It's too late for Karzai to show off this drama of independence," he said.
"I don't believe he convinced Kandaharis, who see him as a puppet. I'm sorry to be so pessimistic."
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