Afghan president ends U.S. trip with visit to military base

(News Today) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai will end his four-day U.S. trip on Friday with a visit to a military base in Kentucky, officials said.

This week, Karzai has huddled with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama. The meeting is Karzai's first to Washington since his controversial re-election and some recent well-publicized spats with the Obama administration.

Clinton deemed the meeting a success Thursday, saying it has helped strengthen the partnership between Washington and Kabul at a critical point in the war against Taliban and al Qaeda extremists.

The Afghan president is scheduled to visit Fort Campbell where the 101st Airborne Division is preparing to go to Afghanistan, a military spokeswoman said.

Karzai has repeatedly expressed thanks this week to the American people for the sacrifices they have made in his country. He has said Afghanistan will remain a dependable partner with the United States and its allies in the global war on terrorism.

The two governments have been using the week's visit to portray their sometimes-tempestuous relationship as a largely friendly one, paving the way for greater progress in the war against the Taliban and other extremists.

After meeting with Karzai on Tuesday, Clinton said that "we will have disagreements time to time, but that is a sign of a mature relationship and a steady relationship."

Clinton said it is unrealistic to expect the two nations to see eye-to-eye on every issue.

"President Obama and President Karzai both understand that the ability to disagree on issues of importance is not an obstacle to achieving our shared objectives, but rather it reflects a level of trust," she said.

Sandwiched between sessions with Clinton, Karzai met with Obama at the White House on Wednesday.

Obama said he is confident his administration will meet the 2011 withdrawal date from Afghanistan, but warned that there is "going to be some hard fighting" in the months ahead. He also stressed that the United States is in Afghanistan for the long haul.

"This is a long-term partnership," he said. "We are not suddenly, as of July 2011, finished with Afghanistan."

Source : CNN

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