Obama sees Karzai as 'critical partner'

Afghan leader Hamid Karzai is "a critical partner" in the fight against Al-Qaeda, US President Barack Obama said Friday, as the White House seeks to turn the page on a spat between the two allies.

"The reason we're putting American lives on the line is because 3,000 Americans were killed in an attack that was launched from Afghanistan," Obama told ABC, referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks."And those people are still out there, plotting to kill Americans," he said. "That means that we are going after Al-Qaeda to dismantle and destroy them."President Karzai, I think is going to be a critical partner in this effort."But he told the television's "Good Morning America" that Karzai still faces a "challenge" in dealing with domestic politics. "I think he has been a partner. But I think he has his own domestic politics he has to deal with," Obama said.Karzai has angered Washington twice within a few days with outbursts blaming foreigners for the widespread fraud in last year's elections which returned him to power.On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Karzai also told lawmakers the United States was interfering with Afghan affairs and that the Taliban would become a legitimate resistance movement if it did not stop.But the US administration on Friday appeared to be trying to put the furor behind it and strike a more conciliatory tone as Obama ramps up the level of troops fighting a Taliban insurgency and Al-Qaeda militants."I think real progress has been made ... part of President Karzai's challenge is, he's got to bring his country along into a 21st century, in which it is functioning and effective," Obama said.Earlier this week, US officials pointedly declined to call Karzai an ally, and hinted an invitation to visit the White House next month could be withdrawn if he repeated his anti-foreigner outbursts.But on Friday it appeared that May 12 visit was still on.
"There is no modification" in the plan for May 12 meeting, US national security advisor General James Jones told reporters on board Air Force One returning from Obama's historic nuclear deal signing ceremony in Prague.Obama extended the invitation to Karzai to come to Washington last month during his first whirlwind visit to Afghanistan since taking office in 2009.Jones said Obama also had written to the Afghan leader to thank him for his hospitality during the brief trip on March 28.Obama "pledged to continue our common efforts to make Afghanistan a success," Jones said.He added the White House considered the whole furor around Karzai's outburst behind them. "We have a democratically elected president who is,by definition, our partner," Jones added.Washington has demanded that Karzai embrace good governance and notably battle widespread corruption in order to create a functioning state that could allow US forces to finally leave the country.
"I think he's committed to doing that," Obama said Friday.
"That doesn't mean that it's easy. And that doesn't mean that there aren't going to be times when he and I disagree, in terms of how things should proceed and how rapidly things should proceed."
Karzai's behavior could risk becoming a domestic political problem for Obama, who last year ordered an extra 30,000 US troops into Afghanistan in an effort to finally crush the Taliban after a bloody eight-year war.