By Phone, Karzai Tries To Clarify A Diatribe.

WASHINGTON -- A day after he delivered a scorching attack on the West for its conduct in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai telephoned Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday to express surprise that his comments had caused such a stir, administration officials said. Mr. Karzai, the officials said, told Mrs. Clinton that he had not meant to criticize the United States but rather Western news coverage of Afghanistan. In a speech on Thursday, Mr. Karzai accused the news media of spreading reports characterizing last year's presidential election as fraudulent ''to pressure me.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]