Manila - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Thursday called on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to take more steps to stamp out corruption in the strife-torn country.

Clinton said the Afghan government should also "accept greater responsibility for its own defense" as Washington reviews what course to take in fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

"We are looking for measures of accountability and transparency that will demonstrate a clear commitment to the kind of governance and outcomes that the people of Afghanistan deserve," she said.

Clinton declined to confirm media reports that the US envoy to Kabul has expressed concern over the deployment of additional troops to Afghanistan due to corruption.

But she noted that Karzai should demonstrate to the international community and the Afghan people that his administration "will respond to the needs that are so manifest."

"The corruption issue goes to the heart of whether the people of Afghanistan feel that the government is on their side, is working for them," she said.

Clinton said the US wants to be sure that development assistance it was providing to Afghanistan "gets to where it's intended" and actually improve the lives of Afghan people.

Clinton was in Manila for a two-day visit as part of an Asian tour that included stops in Singapore to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. (dpa)