美国总统奥巴马说，阿富汗总统卡尔扎伊仍然是反恐战争中的“关键伙伴”，尽管卡尔扎伊最近与西方国家屡打口水仗。
奥巴马对美国广播公司新闻节目说，他相信卡尔扎伊在建立一个稳定的阿富汗的努力中具有关键的作用。这将不允许塔利班接管阿富汗政权，也不允许它为基地组织提供生存的场所。
奥巴马说，他相信卡尔扎伊总统承诺改进阿富汗政府，以赋予政府更大的合法性。但是他说，这并不意味着他和卡尔扎伊总统在如何推进这个进程中不出现分歧。
本星期早些时候，美国官员拒绝称卡尔扎伊总统为盟友，并暗示如果卡尔扎伊继续他的反外国的言论，可能收回让他下个月来白宫的邀请。
但是美国国家安全顾问琼斯星期五对记者说，原定5月21日的会见没有修改。他说， 白宫官员认为卡尔扎伊的话已经过去了。
U.S. President Barack Obama says Afghan President Hamid Karzai remains a “critical partner” in the fight against terrorism despite his recent war of words with the West.
President Obama told ABC News that he believes Mr. Karzai will be critical to the effort to create a stable Afghanistan that does not allow the Taliban to take over or provide a platform for al-Qaida.
Mr. Obama said he believes President Karzai is committed to making improvements that give his government greater legitimacy. But he said that does not mean there will not be times when he and President Karzai disagree on how to proceed.
Earlier this week, U.S. officials declined to call President Karzai an ally and hinted that an invitation to visit the White House next month could be withdrawn if he continued his anti-foreigner outbursts.
But U.S. National Security Adviser General James Jones told reporters Friday “there is no modification” in the plan for the May 12 meeting. He said White House officials consider the controversy behind them.