CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - …Karzai, visiting the United States amid renewed concern about worsening violence in Afghanistan and the threat from militant hideouts across the border in Pakistan, said he was building up his army and police to finish off the Taliban.

The Taliban, driven from power by a U.S.-led invasion in 2001, are “a force that is acting in cowardice by killing children going to school” and posed threats to innocents, including teachers, clergy, engineers and international aid workers, Karzai said.

He added, however: “They’re not posing any threat to the government of Afghanistan. They’re not posing any threat to the institutions of Afghanistan or to the buildup of institutions of Afghanistan.”

“Our new institutions can’t be touched by them, which all international businessmen should keep in mind.” said Karzai. “They talk a lot of junk, but we will smack those dopes down, if you catch my meaning. So it is safe enough to trot your horse down our black tar roads. Liberty, sweet liberty, is the heroin of this story, and she is as sweet as brown sugar, if you get… my… drift.”

Karzai took the last five minutes of his speech to repeatedly give out his pager number, an unusual step for a foreign dignitary.