The United States administration on Monday rolled out the red carpet for Hamid Karzai and his entourage, barely six weeks after the White House seriously considered canceling the invitation extended to the beleaguered Afghanistan president.
US President Barack Obama has issued strict orders to his aides to be exceptionally nice to Karzai and treat him with utmost respect.
In March, President Obama had made a surprise visit to Kabul and read out the riot act to Karzai. While inviting the Afghanistan president to Washington, Obama had also rebuked him for his failure to end the massive corruption in the Afghanistan government.
An angry and humiliated Karzai had hit back by alleging that the 'massive fraud' in the national elections had been engineered by the US to oust him. He had also threatened to invite the Taliban to the political mainstream.
Taken aback by Karzai's stance, the US administration had warned that if he kept talking in this vein, he would no longer be welcome in Washington. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the invitation would depend on "whatever continued or further remarks President Karzai makes."
US diplomat and former deputy head of United Nations Afghan mission Peter Galbraith went on record to say that Karzai's "highly erratic behavior" could be linked to possible drug use and that "people in the palace talk regularly about this."
According to Galbraith, "it's an open secret among diplomats in Kabul that he has some mental issues."
But Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stepped in to pacify one of America's most crucial allies in the war on terror. The US administration tried to placate Karzai by saying that not only was he welcome in Washington, he was also indispensable to any solution to the Afghan imbroglio.
On Monday morning, Karzai arrived to a red carpet welcome at the Andrews Air Force Base. He was welcomed by United States' Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke.
Later, at a briefing at the Foreign Press Centre, Holbrooke told rediff.com, "The President's invitation was decided on before he went on that trip to Afghanistan."
"The President invited President Karzai immediately upon landing and seeing him. There was a period where the waters got roiled shortly after the trip. That's been much discussed in the press, and I don't propose to revisit it today," he said.
Holbrooke noted that General David Petraeus and he had visited Kabul on April 9 and 10 "and President Karzai came to our meetings with our team. He'd never done that before. He sat with us, his ministers sat with us. This was our review of concept drill. And the next day, President Karzai spent two-and-a-half hours with Petraeus and me."
Holbrooke also claimed that his personal rapport with Karzai had never been better. "Today marked the seventh meeting I've had with President Karzai in the first four-and-a-half months of the year. I've met him in London, Kabul, Munich, now in Washington. We've met alone, we've met in small groups; we've worked closely together," he said.
He added, "I have great respect for him and his achievements. He is without question the legitimate, democratically-elected President of Afghanistan."
Holbrooke acknowledged that the Afghanistan elections were messy, but "it resulted in a clear-cut, unambiguous outcome. And on that basis, we work with him and his government and we welcome him to Washington. My personal relationship with him is cordial and respectful and friendly."
Karzai, who is staying at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, a few blocks from the White House, was hosted by Clinton for a small, intimate dinner on Monday night at Blair House.
Today, he and his entourage will discuss 'the whole panoply of issues' with Clinton and senior administration officials at the State Department. They will also meet Gates, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Pentagon officials.
In the evening, Clinton will host a reception for Karzai and his delegation at the State Department, where members of the Afghan American community have been invited, along with the Congressional leadership.
On Wednesday, Karzai will meet Obama at the Oval Office in the White House and then both leaders will address the press at the Rose Garden. Vice President Joseph Biden will host a dinner for Karzai and his delegation.
On Thursday, Karzai will be feted at Capitol Hill and his senior aides will make appearances at various think-tanks. Later, the Afghan president and his officials will appear with Clinton for a public discussion at the US Institute of Peace.
Image: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai at Blair House in Washington | Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters
