Drama?Whatdrama?Thatsthemessagecomingoutofameetingwednesdaymorningbetweenpresidentobamaandafghanpresidenthamidkarzai.Therelationshipbetweentheleadershasbeenrockyatbestamidcontinuedtensionsovertheu.S.Roleinafghanistan;andtheobamaadministrationhaslatelybeenpressingkarzaitodomoretoredresswidespreadgovernmentcorruptioninhiscountry.Butatawhitehousenewsconferencewednesdaymorning,obamamadeapointofdownplayinganylingeringtensions."Alotofthemweresimplyoverstated,"obamainsistedtoreporters.But,heacknowledged,"obviouslytherearegoingtobetensionsinsuchacomplicatedanddifficultenvironment."Karzaiconcurred:"therearemomentswhenwespeakfranklytoeachother,andthatfranknesswillonlycontributetothestrengthoftherelationship."Inspiteofthenicetalk,itshardnottonotethecontrastbetweenkarzaisfour-dayvisittowashingtonandhispreviousmeetingswithobamaandhisaides.Thisweekkarzaiisreceivingthesamediplomaticrolloutheenjoyedduringthebushadministration,whenhewasconsideredoneofthecountryskeyallies:aone-on-onemeetingwiththepresident,asit-downwiththesecretariesofstateanddefense,ajointnewsconferenceandadinnerwiththepresidentandvicepresident.Itsallafarcryfromkarzaisfirstobama-eravisittowashington,ayearago.Thenthewhitehousedeclinedtoscheduleajointnewsconferencebetweenobamaandtheafghanleader,anditlimitedthenumberofprivatemeetingsbetweenkarzaiandobamaofficials.Whenobamadidbrieflymeetthepress,hewasjoinedbybothkarzaiandpakistanipresidentasifalizardari.Atthetime,aseniorwhitehouseofficialtoldreportersthattheobamaadministrationwassimplytryingnottoappearitwasfavoringanyparticularcandidateinafghanistanspresidentialelections.Butthenextseveralweekssawalongroundofanonymoussnipingaboutkarzaisourcedtoobamaofficials,soinretrospectthevisitcameoffasasnub.Andsincethen,therelationshiphasonlyworsened.Inasurprisemarchvisittokabul,obamapressedkarzaiontheissueofgovernmentcorruption.Aweeklater,karzaireportedlythreatenedtojointhetalibanastatementhelaterdeniedmaking.Wednesdaysnewsconferencesoughttoerasealltheawkwardeventsofthepastyear.Therewasnotalkofcorruption,andonlyararementionofanothertopicthathasu.S.Officialsunnerved:karzaisrelationshipwithiranianpresidentmahmoudahmadinejad:"iranisourneighbor,andabrother,andwewanttohavethebestofrelationswiththem,"karzaisaidinresponsetoaquestionabouthisdealingswithiran.Americanofficials,hesaid,were"veryclearandsupportiveandunderstandingoftheafghanposition."Hollybaileyisaseniorpoliticalwriterforyahoo!News.!Andjoinusonfacebook(click"like"). Remedy for wedding blues !,Becomeafanonfacebook |4444444444444444|
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