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President Karzai Meets General John Abizaid, Commander of US Central Command
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 On September 27, President Karzai met with General John Abizaid, Commander of US Central Command, at the US Armed Forces headquarters in Tampa, Florida.
Both sides discussed the intensification of fighting in Afghanistan, greater coordination between Afghan and NATO forces, and US assistance to train and equip the Afghan national army and police. President Karzai addressed 65 representatives from the international coalition fighting terrorism in Afghanistan, calling terrorism the enemy of humanity, and the international coalition’s efforts against it as being in the interest of all peace-loving people: “The people of Afghanistan are saddened by the loss of your sons’ lives. These sacrifices are not only important to Afghanistan, but to world peace and to the safety of the people of the world.” In other news, President Karzai met separately with Senators Richard Lugar and Joseph Biden, the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, respectively, and Senator Hillary Clinton at the US Congress in Washington DC. The President noted Afghanistan’s achievements in the past five years and the challenges it continues to face. He emphasized the need for more US government assistance to fight terrorism and narcotics, strengthen the Afghan national police and army, and rebuild infrastructure in Afghanistan. President Karzai also called for greater bilateral relations between Afghanistan and the US. |