Afghan President Tells RFE/RL of Assurances of U.S. Commitment from President Bush

(Kabul, Afghanistan--November 9, 2006) Afghan President Hamid Karzai told RFE/RL today he has received assurances from U.S. President George W. Bush that changes in the U.S. government following this week's midterm elections will not weaken the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan.

Karzai said "President Bush has assured me changes in the institutions of government in the United States will not have an effect on Afghanistan -- the Democrats and Republicans, they are all supporters of Afghanistan."

Karzai made the statement in an exclusive, hour-long interview in the presidential palace in Kabul, speaking with RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan Director Akbar Ayazi (an English transcript of the interview can be found on RFE/RL's homepage at http://www.rferl.org).

In the wide-ranging conversation, Karzai also praised outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, calling him "a friend of Afghanistan, a good ally and supporter in the war against terrorism."
On the U.S. elections, Karzai, speaking alternately in Dari and Pashto, the two main languages of Afghanistan, said "the elections demonstrated the freedom and democracy of America and should make the American people proud."

// Copyright (c) 2005. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. RFE/RL

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