A windfall Afghan exit strategy for Obama

[unhappycamper]

http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2013/11/26/a-windfall-afghan-exit-strategy-for-obama/

A windfall Afghan exit strategy for Obama

The tough-talking, no-nonsense US National Security Advisor Susan Rice met her match at the presidential palace in Kabul Monday evening over a “working dinner”. One would have loved to be a fly on the wall. But there was no need, because no sooner than the pomegranates and grapes were eaten after the rich meal of pilav and kebabs and Rice reported back to Washington her conversation with President Hamid Karzai, which lasted several hours, the White house released a curtly worded readout on what transpired.

In sum, the readout makes it clear that President Barack Obama expects Karzai to back off from his pre-conditions for signing the status of forces agreement (known as the Bilateral Security Agreement or BSA.)

Karzai’s spokesman Aimal Faizi, who was present at the dinner, later went public with a candid media briefing. He disclosed that there were heated exchanges. Faizi said the American ambassador James Cunningham “made the President very angry; his reaction was strong and intense.”

The argument arose over Karzai’s new precondition that the Obama administration should release all the Afghan prisoners at Guantanamo Bay (estimated to number 20 Taliban leaders). Cunningham tried to explain that the US domestic laws prevail over Guantanamo prisoners.

[Laelth]

1. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth