KABUL — President Hamid Karzai’s recent threat to join the Taliban if foreigners don’t stop meddling in Afghanistan, coupled with criticism of the West’s role in his country, have worsened relations with Washington at a time when the U.S. military wants closer cooperation ahead of a major offensive this summer in Kandahar province.
Karzai has been fuming for months about what he considers Washington’s heavy hand. He’s gambling that blaming outsiders for the troubles in a society with a long tradition of resisting occupation will bolster his stature at home while carrying little risk because the U.S. has no choice but to deal with him.
But managing the rift has now become a major problem for both sides, threatening even to rival the threat from the Taliban.
Karzai’s comments suggest that his understanding of partnership differs from Obama’s considerably. On certain issues, Karzai clearly wants Washington to back off.
“Troubling” is how White House spokesman Robert Gibbs described reports Monday that Karzai threatened to abandon the political process and join the Taliban insurgency if the West keeps carping at him to reform his government.
“On behalf of the American people, we’re frustrated with the remarks,” Gibbs told reporters.
“These comments can undercut the kind of support that we think we need on all sides of this equation if we’re going to move forward,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. “Clearly, you know, what he says does have an impact back here in the United States and he should choose his words carefully.”
Karzai told a group of parliament members Saturday that if foreign interference in his government continues, the Taliban would become a legitimate resistance — one that he might even join, according to several lawmakers present.
“He said that ‘if I come under foreign pressure, I might join the Taliban,’ ” said Farooq Marenai, who represents the province of Nangarhar. “He said rebellion” against a legitimate Afghan government “would change to resistance” against foreign occupation.
Karzai told CNN on Monday that he has no intention of breaking with Washington, which is pouring 30,000 more troops into the fight against the Taliban.
“It’s just to make sure that we all understand as to where each one of us stands,” Karzai said. “Afghanistan is the home of Afghans and we own this place. And our partners are here to help in a cause that’s all of us. We run this country, the Afghans.”
The lawmakers agreed that the threat to join the Taliban did not appear serious but reflected Karzai’s anger over U.S. and international pressure on several issues, including electoral reform, combating corruption and contacts with Taliban insurgents.
Two days earlier, he lashed out against the U.N. and the international community, accusing them of perpetrating a “vast fraud” in last year’s presidential polls as part of a conspiracy to deny him re-election or tarnish his victory — accusations the U.S. and the United Nations have denied.
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