Word: afghanistan
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...aboard Air Force One flying to and from Kabul just to pat Karzai on the back. Not only is the White House frustrated over the rampant corruption in Karzai's government, whose ability to earn the support of its own people is the linchpin of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, it is also increasingly concerned over the Afghan leader's growing coziness with Iran. (See "Obama Makes Surprise Visit to Afghanistan...
...Bagram air base on Sunday evening, Karzai had flown home from Tehran, where he celebrated the Persian new year with America's least favorite foreign leader, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. That followed a day trip to Kabul earlier this month by the Iranian President. (See pictures of President Obama in Afghanistan...
...joint press conference at Karzai's heavily guarded Arg Palace, both he and Obama put a traditional diplomatic gloss on their meeting. Obama said "the American people are encouraged by the progress that is being made," while Karzai lauded Washington's continued commitment to Afghanistan...
...White House annoyance at Karzai is underscored by the rising U.S. casualty figures in Afghanistan: in the first three months of this year, 83 American servicemen were killed, nearly double last year's toll during the same period. U.S. diplomats and military commanders in Kabul fear that the gains made against the Taliban, at a heavy cost in NATO and American sacrifices, will be wasted unless Karzai changes his ways and delivers good governance to his people. (See pictures of the battle against the Taliban...
...Palace insiders say that before Obama's surprise visit, Afghan-U.S. relations had strained to the point where Karzai would speak to only three Americans: Ambassador Karl Eikenberry; General Stanley McChrystal, commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan; and the unnamed CIA station chief. Of those three, Karzai is said to trust only the CIA chief, who reportedly led the special-forces team that protected Karzai on his first forays into southern Afghanistan to turn the Pashtun tribes against Taliban rule. Karzai is said to be leery of Eikenberry, ever since the media leaked the contents of cables...