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Friday, August 28, 2009

Obama's Envoy and Afghan President Karzai Have Explosive Engagment

The U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, recently held an "explosive" meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai over the country's presidential election, according to several news reports.

At a private lunch held on August 21, one day after the election, Holbrooke reportedly pressed Karzai on widespread state-engineered ballot-rigging alleged by his primary opponent, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.

Holbrooke is said to have twice proposed holding a second run-off election after he expressed concern over voter fraud allegations. Karzai reacted "very angrily" to the suggestion and the meeting ended shortly after.

According to the BBC, the meeting was described as "explosive" and "a dramatic bust-up."

"It was a difficult meeting and there were some sharp exchanges in it," an unnamed U.S. official with knowledge of the meeting told AFP.

Karzai enjoyed a warm relationship with former President George W. Bush, but relations are believed to have since cooled under President Barack Obama. - FOX News Story

Let me understand this. Obama will go toe to toe with a friend over allegations of election fraud, but in Iran he sat back and said nothing? Hmmmm

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