Insisting that recent tensions between the two governments were “overstated”, U.S. President Barack Obama has moved to mend fences with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai stating that America will not cut out and run from the nation.
Reassuring Mr. Karzai that U.S. will not abandon Afghanistan after its proposed troop withdrawal next year, Mr. Obama gave Afghan President an effusive welcome at the White House saying the two nations shared a common objective of eliminating terrorism.
Mr. Obama's conciliatory remarks were apparently aimed at ending months of sniping between Washington and Kabul and Mr. Karzai on his part said that frankness would only contribute to strengthening relations between the two countries.
“There are moments when we speak frankly to each other, and that frankness will only contribute to the strength of the relationship,” said Mr. Karzai at the joint White House press conference.
Referring to situation in Afghanistan, Mr. Obama said, “The war will get worse, before its gets better,” adding that the next few months would see more intensified fighting, in an apparent reference to the upcoming major offensive in the Kandahar province, the birth place of Taliban.
To complaints of Mr. Karzai that U.S. and NATO forces air strikes were killing innocents and making enemies of those who might be friends, the U.S. President said, “Washington has taken extraordinary measures to avoid civilian deaths in the war”.
“I do not want civilians killed,” said Mr. Obama.
Mr. Obama and Mr. Karzai agreed to sign a new U.S.-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Declaration by the end of the year that would replace that of 2005.
Earlier at a joint White House press conference, with Mr. Karzai, Mr. Obama said there were going to be tensions in such a complicated, difficult environment and in a situation in which, on the ground, both Afghans and Americans are making enormous sacrifices.
“We've had very frank discussions. And President Karzai agrees with me, that we can't win through a military strategy alone; that we're going to have to make sure that we have effective governance, capacity-building, economic development in order for us to succeed,” he said.
“Our job is to be a good friend and to be frank with President Karzai in saying, “Here's where we think we've got to put more effort”.
Noting that the U.S.-Afghan relationship is real, and not imaginary, Mr. Karzai said: “It's based on some very hard and difficult realities. We are in a campaign against terrorism together. There are days that we are happy. There are days that we are not happy. It's a mutual relationship toward a common objective.”
Acknowledging that there have been days when the two countries have had a difference of opinion, he said that would continue to remain in the future.
“But the relationship between the two governments and the two nations is strong and well-rooted, and has endured the past 10 years of extreme activity on both sides,” he said.
