Hamid Karzai comes to Washington: Will US-Afghanistan tensions ease?
| Washington
Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrives in Washington Monday for a four-day visit that both the US and Afghanistan are determined to see put their countries鈥� partnership on a more productive 鈥� and less cantankerous 鈥� path.
Mutual suspicions have marked the relationship between Mr. Karzai and President Obama聽鈥� at least since the Afghan leader鈥檚 trouble-pocked reelection last year. Obama has fumed over an unaccountable leader who has done little to stem rampant corruption, while Karzai has blasted an arrogant foreign presence in his country, going so far as to recently charge the US with seeking a 鈥渟ervant government鈥� from the Afghans.
But both sides say a common interest in a stronger Afghanistan that uses the US and NATO 鈥減artnership鈥� to improve governance and wrest terrain from the Afghan Taliban聽will trump quarrels that at least publicly will be laid to rest.
鈥淭he nature of strategic partnerships like the one between the United States and Afghanistan [is that] they feature ups and downs,鈥� says Douglas Lute, Obama鈥檚 special assistant for Afghanistan and Pakistan. 鈥淏ut the difference between a mere relationship and a partnership like the one [with Afghanistan] is that partnerships endure the ups and downs and continue to press forward towards the common goals on which the partnership is founded.鈥�
Both leaders have made concessions to the other side in the run-up to this visit.
Obama has ordered a shift from criticism to praise of Karzai and the Afghan government. In particular, he has urged a toning-down of nepotism and corruption charges that zeroed in on Karzai family members, most notably a brother in government in Kandahar. Karzai postponed a national peace conference, or consultative听箩颈谤驳补, until after his Washington visit after US officials expressed concern that Karzai would go too far in accommodating the Taliban.
Both leaders will be looking for assurances from the other: Obama, that Karzai has a plan for following up on NATO efforts by extending security and governance into areas won away from Taliban control; and Karzai, that the US will not just pack up and leave once Obama鈥檚 plan to begin withdrawing troops in July 2011 kicks in.
Karzai鈥檚 day at the White House is Wednesday, during which the two leaders will hold a Rose Garden press conference and a working lunch bringing together their respective national security teams. The Afghan leader meets with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other State Department officials on Tuesday, while Secretary Clinton and Karzai engage in a 鈥減ublic conversation鈥� Thursday.
Karzai will also dine Wednesday with Vice-President Joe Biden, who was particularly incensed at Karzai鈥檚 threats 鈥� after a tense surprise visit by Obama to Kabul in March 鈥� to go into opposition and perhaps even join the Taliban.
The White House underscored the importance of Karzai鈥檚 visit by summoning the two top US officials in Aghanistan 鈥� US Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and top military commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal 鈥� to Washington.
Karzai鈥檚 visit is seen as a kind of 鈥渞eset鈥� of the US-Afghan partnership. More than that it kicks off an intense diplomatic and military calendar that features Afghanistan and culminates in December with an anticipated public accounting by Obama of his Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy for defeating Al Qaeda and its supporters.
At the end of May, Karzai is expected to hold the consultative conference or jirga, and then in July he is expected to host an international conference 鈥� the first international conference on Afghanistan to actually be held on Afghan soil, according to the White House 鈥� where the Karzai government is to present an 鈥渁ction plan鈥� in response to the international conference for Afghanistan held in London earlier this year.
Afghanistan is also scheduled to hold parliamentary elections in September.
In the meantime, the US is gradually bringing up its military contingent in Afghanistan by deploying the 30,000 additional troops Obama ordered, and will soon launch its awaited offensive against Taliban strongholds in the Kandahar region.
In previewing the Afghan leader鈥檚 visit, White House officials have emphasized the progress the US has seen in Karzai鈥檚 governance since his questioned reelection.
General Lute notes that Karzai has taken 鈥渁 number of steps鈥� against corruption, such as beefing up a special office for anticorruption measures. Karzai has also mandated disclosure of financial assets by senior government officials, he says.
Officials say Obama will also make clear to Karzai that the US does not oppose his plan for reintegrating low-level Taliban fighters into Afghan society, but wants a clearer understanding of how the Afghan government plans to promote reconciliation with the Taliban leadership.
鈥淭his visit is an opportunity to discuss issues related to reintegration and reconciliation with President Karzai and his team so that we have an understanding,鈥� says Ben Rhodes, White House deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, 鈥渙f what our shared objectives are in this area, and what an Afghan-led process would look like moving forward.鈥�
Related:
