Agence France-Presse, 06 August 2007.
CAMP DAVID, MD. -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived here yesterday for talks with President George W. Bush on the deteriorating security situation in his country after raising eyebrows by describing U.S. nemesis Iran as more friend than foe.
Mr. Bush welcomed Mr. Karzai, one of his key allies, at the Camp David presidential retreat where they were expected to confer over the Taliban insurgency and mounting civilian casualties in Afghanistan.
The drug trade, economic development and the fate of 21 South Korean hostages held by the Taliban were also likely to be high on the agenda for the two days of discussions.
But Mr. Karzai, who rose to power in 2002 with U.S. backing, introduced a potential wrinkle in the talks with some friendly public comments about Iran, considered by Washington a major threat to global stability.
In an interview broadcast yesterday on CNN, Mr. Karzai appeared to turn back U.S. allegations that Iranian arms were helping to erode the security situation in Afghanistan. "So far, Iran has been a helper and a solution," he said.
"Iran has been a supporter of Afghanistan, in the peace process that we have and the fight against terror, and the fight against narcotics in Afghanistan," Mr. Karzai said in the interview conducted Saturday.
He went on to say that Afghanistan and Iran had "very, very good, very, very close relations. ... We will continue to have good relations with Iran. We will continue to resolve issues, if there are any to arise."
His remarks differed markedly from the U.S. stand, which sees Iran as a major menace that bankrolls terrorists, supplies arms to insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, and seeks to develop nuclear weapons.
U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates, just returned from a Middle East swing, offered in response to Mr. Karzai's comments the observation that Iran was "playing both sides of the street in Afghanistan."
"I think they're doing some things to help the Afghan government," Mr. Gates told CNN. "I think they're also doing things to help the Taliban, including providing weapons."
The White House earlier said Mr. Bush and Mr. Karzai would discuss Washington's war on terrorism and "review their work together to enhance Afghanistan's long-term democracy, prosperity, and security."
Citation: "Karzai praises Iran before talks with Bush," Agence France-Presse, 06 August 2007.
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