Kabul - US President George W Bush was awarded the most prestigious medal by his Afghan counterpart in Kabul, one day after he ducked a pair of shoes launched at him by an Iraqi journalist in Baghdad.

Bush made a farewell trip to Iraq Sunday to support the recently signed US-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement, which paves the way for the transfer of full sovereignty to Iraq and the departure of US troops by 2011.

During a joint news conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, an Iraqi television reporter stood up and hurled both of his shoes at the unsuspecting Bush, shouting, "This is the farewell kiss, you dog." Bush dodged the shoes and tried to stay calm.

On Monday, Bush flew to Kabul and received a different welcome.

"In a special ceremony at the presidential palace, President (Hamid) Karzai presented the Ghazi Amanullah Khan Medal to President George W Bush for his service in his assistance and cooperation to the people of Afghanistan," Karzai's office said in a statement.

The medal is the country's highest award. Ghazi Ammanullah Khan served as Afghanistan's king from 1919-29 and led the country to independence from the erstwhile British Empire.

US troops supported by Western allies invaded both Iraq and Afghanistan during Bush's eight years as president. The invasions liberated them from a dictator and a radical Taliban regime, but soon both Islamic states were plunged into a bloody war between insurgents and US forces.

"Afghans turned against the foreign forces led by US troops in Afghanistan after the US government focus was shifted to Iraq war and Afghanistan was left to the corrupt officials," said Waheed Muzhda, a political analyst and former foreign ministry official during the Taliban regime.

"Like Shiite and Kurds (in Iraq), there are also some circles in Afghanistan that support Bush and his administration and are happy with them," Muzhda said. "But the vast majority of Afghan people know Bush as someone who committed unforgivable crimes in Afghanistan and other places."

Abdul Jabar, 36, a pushcart vendor in Kabul city, said the Bush administration put Afghanistan in a situation where "we cannot tell the foreign forces to leave our country, because we will once again be attacked by our neighbours, and if we ask them to stay, the same bloodshed will continue."

Jabar, who heard about the Iraqi journalist's action from a local radio channel, said, "If we don't throw our shoes at him, it does not mean civilians and innocent people were not killed here, but it means that our Afghan culture does not allow us to mistreat our guests."

Taliban militants have steadily gained power in the past two years since their ouster in late 2001, and extended their writ over ever larger swathes of the country.

In several districts in southern and eastern regions, the Taliban have created a parallel government and have installed their own judicial and administrative authorities.

Administrative corruption in Karzai's government and civilian casualties caused during the international forces' operations against insurgents have also increased the public support for the Taliban.

Wary of losing the war to the insurgents, the US government has recently announced to top its around 32,000 forces in the country with additional 20,000 US troops to contain the insurgency. There are nearly 70,000 foreign troops from some 41 nations in Afghanistan.

Despite warnings by analysts of growing anti-US, or anti-Westerner sentiments in the country, Afghanistan on Monday received the US delegations with warms welcomes.

"We are honored to the profoundest depth of our hearts to have His Excellency President Bush with us here today," Karzai said in a joint press appearance with the US leader.

Concerned that the press would not show enough respect to the outgoing US leader, Afghan officials told reporters to address Bush as "His Excellency," a title Karzai himself repeated at least three times during the press conference. (dpa)