Obama will host Karzai at White House

Washington (News Today) - President Obama will welcome Afghan President Hamid Karzai to the White House on Wednesday for a second day of partnership talks.

Karzai also will meet with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other House leaders later in the day.

The meetings come after some recent well-publicized spats between Washington and Kabul.

Karzai huddled with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, saying the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan remains strong and will continue long after U.S. combat troops have withdrawn. But she said it was 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.

Karzai expressed thanks on behalf of the Afghan nation to the American people for the sacrifices they have made there. He said Afghanistan will remain a dependable partner with the United States and its allies in the global war on terrorism.

However, he also acknowledged the recent rift.

"As two mature nations and two mature governments -- by now the Afghan government is mature, too -- we will have disagreements time to time, but that is a sign of a mature relationship and a steady relationship."

Karzai's first visit to Washington after his re-election follows prickly talk centering on the Afghan president's ability to rein in corruption and run an effective government.

He was handed a victory in last August's national vote, marred by irregularities that forced a runoff. Since then, the Obama administration has publicly pressured Karzai to rid his government of graft and improve delivery of services to the Afghan people.

Karzai irritated U.S. officials when he blamed election fraud on foreigners who want a "puppet government" in Afghanistan. He further aggravated his most powerful ally when he told tribal leaders that the U.S.-led military alliance would not move against Taliban fighters in Kandahar "until you say we can."

Media reports have also included harsh criticism of Karzai by a former United Nations diplomat as well as claims that Karzai said he would consider joining the Taliban insurgency.

At one point, the White House indicated it would call off this week's visit.

But in recent weeks, the United States and Afghanistan have sought to play down their differences, rejecting the idea of any dispute between its leaders.

U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry said Monday that there have been "ups and downs" in the relationship with Karzai.

He said he expects the United States and Afghanistan "to be able to work our way through difficulties and come back together and still find ourselves well-aligned" as a result of Karzai's talks with Obama.

"There will be serious dialogues in the days ahead on far-ranging issues, including how to best deliver on our government's commitment to help accelerate the strengthening of Afghan security and judicial institutions," Eikenberry said.

Asked if Karzai is a dependable partner for the United States, Eikenberry responded that he is the elected president of a close friend and ally. At the same time, he said that Karzai's government must improve transparency and accountability, and that those issues will be discussed this week.

"The United States government, I know our administration, is in full support of President Karzai's efforts right now to make improvements there," Eikenberry said. "Much has to be done."

Karzai's visit also comes as questions arise about the timing of a planned U.S.-led military offensive on the Kandahar area that is the spiritual center of the Taliban.

U.S. military leaders acknowledged challenges to the eventual goal of turning over security to the Afghans.

"We will encounter increased violence as our combined security forces expand into Taliban-controlled areas," said Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the allied military leader.

McChrystal offered no specifics on when the offensive might start, but said securing control of the region is a goal of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.

Source : CNN

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