Washington, May 13: Terming reports of a rift between Washington and Kabul as “overstated”, US President Barack Obama has moved to mend fences with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai stating that America will not cut out and run from the war-torn nation.
In a conciliatory move, Obama also voiced support for Karzai’s efforts to woo wavering Taliban militants, but only if they renounce al-Qaeda and violence.
This marked the first reaction of the US to Karzai’s moves to bring back moderate Taliban to the mainstream as well as try to send some elements outside Afghanistan.
Reassuring Karzai that US will not abandon Afghanistan after its proposed troop withdrawal next year, Obama gave the Afghan President an effusive welcome at the White House saying that the two nations shared a common objective of eliminating terrorism.
–Agencies