'We concede that foreigners have committed lots of mistakes, but when we have a poor government, they should not blame the foreigners.'Įither way, experts say there is no option for the United States but to plod along with a relationship that will always be prickly and work more with ministers who tackle corruption and offer services that have been lacking for decades. 'The utterances embolden the Taliban and al Qaeda,' said Sardar Mohammad Oughli, a lawmaker and critic of Karzai. think tank.īut some of Karzai's critics in Afghanistan say blaming foreigners for his country's ills only bolsters the militants. Many see the comments for what they are worth - trying to shore up his domestic political base and save some face for himself personally,' said Brian Katulis of the Center for American Progress, a liberal U.S. 'They are doing their best to try and work with him and shape his calculations. officials are also banking on Karzai's outbursts being aimed at a domestic audience that sees him as being propped up by Washington, rather than targeting the Obama administration.

The hope is that the war of words will subside soon - just as it did when Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had caustic ties with the Bush administration at the height of violence there. 'He is trying to make this issue known that 'if I am a mercenary, then this country is occupied and if I am a partner, then treat me such,'' said Waheed Mozhdah, a leading analyst who has been in several Afghan governments. president's brief visit there last month. Kabul-based analysts say much of the friction stems from Karzai's feeling he is not being treated as a true ally and of being lectured to on his own turf by Obama during the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden kicked off a series of tough talks with Karzai soon after Obama was elected, and in a secret memo leaked to The New York Times late last year, Washington's own ambassador to Kabul tagged Karzai as a 'not adequate' partner.Īmong his recent criticism, Karzai accused the West of seeking to weaken him and of carrying out election fraud in Afghanistan last year, singling out Washington specifically. 'This latest flap is just one in a steady stream of events whereby Karzai felt he was getting pressured in ways that are not comfortable,' said Daniel Markey, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

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