By Sayed Salahuddin

KABUL, March 3 (Reuters) - Afghanistan said on Monday it was stunned by a U.S. intelligence assessment that the Afghan government controlled only 30 percent of the country and Taliban insurgents held 10 percent, calling the report totally baseless.

The assessment by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell last week came amid warnings by Western think-tanks, politicians and diplomats that Afghanistan could revert to becoming a failed state and slide back into anarchy.

McConnell said the rest of Afghanistan, or 60 percent of its territory, was under the control of tribal groups.

NATO, which leads a 43,000-strong force in Afghanistan, has already disputed McConnell's account.

Afghanistan's intelligence chief, Amrullah Saleh, said the Afghan government was stunned by McConnell's assessment.

"We regard the percentage mentioned ... as totally baseless," Saleh told a news conference.

He conceded the government did not have a presence in numerous districts of Afghanistan, but said that did not mean the Taliban insurgents controlled them.

Afghanistan had a deeply rooted tribal society and traditionally tribes formed the basis of a successful administration of the country, Saleh said.

He said President Hamid Karzai's government enjoyed the support of political elites and tribal chiefs.

"Given the history of this country and its national formation and way of governance, we feel proud that we have the support of tribal leaders."

"While in America an administration fully backed by tribal chiefs or dominated by tribal chiefs may be seen as liability, here we see it as a strong asset," Saleh said.

When asked why his account of the Afghan government's control differed so much from that of McConnell, Saleh said: "I am in touch with reality. I am sitting in Afghanistan."

In the last two years, Afghanistan has gone through its worst period of violence since U.S.-led and Afghan forces overthrew the Taliban in 2001.

More than 11,000 people have been killed since 2006, the drugs industry is booming, corruption is rife and frustration is high among ordinary Afghans about the lack of security and development six years after the Taliban were removed from power. (Editing by Jerry Norton)

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