Afghanistan Follow-Up: Karzai Pulls Back from Confrontation with US?

The latest from a week of manoeuvres and power politics between the US Government, including President Obama, and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai....

The public spin is that Karzai has pulled back from his criticism of Washington and the United Nations on Thursday. Karzai's attack on Western manipulaton of last summer's Afghanistan Presidential election came only four days after Obama had flown to Kabul, reportedly to chide Karzai over corruption and mismanagement and to tell the President to get himself and his house in order.

Afghanistan: Karzai’s Middle-Finger Reply to the US

Karzai's spokesman said on Friday that the President had spoken to USSecretary of State Hillary Clinton by telephone. Waheed Omer reported, "President Karzai said the Afghan people and Afghan government were grateful for the support and sacrifice of the international community for peace in Afghanistan and the world."


Omer added parts of Karzai's remarks had been misunderstood: "Obviously there is a difference of opinion on certain issues between Afghanistan and its international partners, but the president wanted the international community to pay attention to the concerns of the Afghan people and the Afghan government."

Not exactly a surprising move: after all, Karzai and the US Government are still political allies in the contest against the Afghan insurgency, so it really wouldn't do to have a public split on the verge of an impending US-led military offensive. At the same time, Karzai is not going to give any appearance of caving into Washington's demands. So if there is any change in his political management, the President will present it as his idea for a better Afghanistan.