US, Afghan presidents to wrap up talks on security, economy
Tuesday, 7 August 2007
CAMP DAVID, Maryland, Aug 6 (AFP): Visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai will Monday wrap up his talks with President George W. Bush on the deteriorating security situation in his country after raising eyebrows by describing US nemesis Iran as more friend than foe.
Karzai, one of Bush's key allies, also revealed that attempts to track down terror mastermind Osama bin Laden had shown no progress in years.
The drug trade, economic development and the fate of 21 South Korean hostages held by the Taliban are said to be high on the agenda during discussions at the Camp David presidential retreat.
But Karzai, who rose to power in 2002 with US 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 Sunday on CNN, Karzai appeared to turn back US 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 of Afghanistan's powerful neighbour to the west.
"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," Karzai said in the interview conducted Saturday.
He said Afghanistan and Iran had "very, very good, very, very close relations."
His remarks differed markedly from the US stance, which sees Iran as a major menace that bankrolls "terrorists," supplies arms to insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, and seeks to develop nuclear weapons.
The US position was reiterated Sunday by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as she defended the US decision to sell tens of billions of dollars in arms to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to thwart Iranian ambitions.
"I don't think anybody doubts that Iran constitutes a major challenge, security challenge, to our friends, our allies, and therefore to our interests in the Gulf region," Rice told CBS television.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who just returned from a Middle East swing with Rice, said in response to Karzai's comments that Iran was "playing both sides of the street in Afghanistan."
"I think they're doing some things to help the Afghan government," Gates told CNN. "I think they're also doing things to help the Taliban, including providing weapons."
Reuters from Ghazni adds: Taliban insurgents said Afghan President Hamid Karzai and US President George W. Bush, meeting in Camp David Monday, must agree to free jailed rebels or be responsible for the deaths of 21 Korean hostages.
The renewed Taliban threat to kill the captives comes as negotiations to free them remained deadlocked with no agreement even on where to hold talks between South Korean diplomats and the kidnappers.
The Taliban have killed two of the hostages and have repeatedly threatened to kill the remaining 18 women and three men unless the Afghan government agrees to free jailed rebels.
"Karzai has gone to America and it is possible he will take a strong decision with Bush to release the Koreans and agree to exchange prisoners because Bush and Karzai are responsible for securing the hostages," Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf told Reuters by telephone from an unknown location.
Asked what the Taliban would do if there is no swap, Yousuf said: "The responsibility will lie with Karzai and Bush."
Afghanistan has refused to release Taliban prisoners, saying that would encourage a kidnapping "industry."
"We will not do anything that will encourage hostage-taking, that will encourage terrorism. But we will do everything else to have them released," Afghan President Hamid Karzai told CNN ahead of his visit to the United States.
Bush and Karzai are to focus on the worsening violence in Afghanistan and the threat from militant hideouts in neighbouring Pakistan in talks at the US presidential Camp David retreat.
Afghanistan is suffering its worst period of violence since US-led and Afghan forces toppled the Taliban in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001.
The Taliban campaign of kidnapping, ambush, suicide and roadside bomb attacks is aimed at convincing Afghans that Karzai and his Western backers are unable to provide them security.
Karzai, one of Bush's key allies, also revealed that attempts to track down terror mastermind Osama bin Laden had shown no progress in years.
The drug trade, economic development and the fate of 21 South Korean hostages held by the Taliban are said to be high on the agenda during discussions at the Camp David presidential retreat.
But Karzai, who rose to power in 2002 with US 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 Sunday on CNN, Karzai appeared to turn back US 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 of Afghanistan's powerful neighbour to the west.
"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," Karzai said in the interview conducted Saturday.
He said Afghanistan and Iran had "very, very good, very, very close relations."
His remarks differed markedly from the US stance, which sees Iran as a major menace that bankrolls "terrorists," supplies arms to insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, and seeks to develop nuclear weapons.
The US position was reiterated Sunday by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as she defended the US decision to sell tens of billions of dollars in arms to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to thwart Iranian ambitions.
"I don't think anybody doubts that Iran constitutes a major challenge, security challenge, to our friends, our allies, and therefore to our interests in the Gulf region," Rice told CBS television.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who just returned from a Middle East swing with Rice, said in response to Karzai's comments that Iran was "playing both sides of the street in Afghanistan."
"I think they're doing some things to help the Afghan government," Gates told CNN. "I think they're also doing things to help the Taliban, including providing weapons."
Reuters from Ghazni adds: Taliban insurgents said Afghan President Hamid Karzai and US President George W. Bush, meeting in Camp David Monday, must agree to free jailed rebels or be responsible for the deaths of 21 Korean hostages.
The renewed Taliban threat to kill the captives comes as negotiations to free them remained deadlocked with no agreement even on where to hold talks between South Korean diplomats and the kidnappers.
The Taliban have killed two of the hostages and have repeatedly threatened to kill the remaining 18 women and three men unless the Afghan government agrees to free jailed rebels.
"Karzai has gone to America and it is possible he will take a strong decision with Bush to release the Koreans and agree to exchange prisoners because Bush and Karzai are responsible for securing the hostages," Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf told Reuters by telephone from an unknown location.
Asked what the Taliban would do if there is no swap, Yousuf said: "The responsibility will lie with Karzai and Bush."
Afghanistan has refused to release Taliban prisoners, saying that would encourage a kidnapping "industry."
"We will not do anything that will encourage hostage-taking, that will encourage terrorism. But we will do everything else to have them released," Afghan President Hamid Karzai told CNN ahead of his visit to the United States.
Bush and Karzai are to focus on the worsening violence in Afghanistan and the threat from militant hideouts in neighbouring Pakistan in talks at the US presidential Camp David retreat.
Afghanistan is suffering its worst period of violence since US-led and Afghan forces toppled the Taliban in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001.
The Taliban campaign of kidnapping, ambush, suicide and roadside bomb attacks is aimed at convincing Afghans that Karzai and his Western backers are unable to provide them security.