The White House said they would discuss security and the US-led "war on terror" and "review their work together to enhance Afghanistan's long-term democracy, prosperity, and security."

They would also discuss ways of improving governance and fighting corruption including the drug trade, as well as measures to boost the Afghan economy and step up the battle against Taliban and other militants, the office of the US president said.

The Taliban insurgency began months after their 2001 ouster by US forces and has intensified recently, having already claimed thousands of lives, mainly of militants.

But a counter-offensive by US-led and Nato forces have led to increasing civilian deaths, and Karzai has angrily accused foreign soldiers of an "extreme use of force."

Experts say Karzai, who was on the way to the United States early Sunday, is especially interested in reducing the civilian casualties as the largely Western forces intensify bombing raids on hideouts of the Taliban, which has increasingly adopted Iraq-style insurgency tactics such as suicide bombings and kidnappings.