Washington:
In a growing sign of strain in ties between the US and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Washington on Friday said that his remarks that the world community meddled in Afghanistan's elections are "troubling" and sought clarification from Kabul.
The White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, said such remarks are "troubling" and the US has sought a clarification from the Karzai Government in this regard.
"I believe our ambassador, Karl Eikenberry, has met with President Karzai today, to clarify what he meant by these remarks," the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, P J Crowley, told reporters at his daily news briefing.
"We are troubled by the comments that he (Karzai) made yesterday. From our standpoint, we are investing substantial resources to defeat Al Qaida. It's in our interest," he said.
"They are troubling. A real and genuine concern. We are seeking clarification from President Karzai. Those security gains (in Marja) are only secured through competent governance," Gibbs told reporters in a press gaggle.
Karzai's claims called into question whether he had absorbed Obama's message on Sunday, and will also pose a political problem for the US, which has embraced Karzai as a partner despite its distaste for his conduct.
The US last year ordered a surge of 30,000 American troops into Afghanistan, in an effort to finally vanquish the Taliban after an eight year war, but it expects Karzai must do his part by building good governance.
Karzai drew fierce global condemnation for his speech on Friday.
"There was fraud in presidential and provincial council elections -- no doubt that there was a very widespread fraud, very widespread," Karzai told Afghan election commission workers in Kabul.
"But Afghans did not do this fraud. The foreigners did this fraud," he alleged, accusing other countries of interfering in Afghanistan's domestic affairs.
He claimed that such moves risked the 126,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan being seen as "invaders" - terminology used by the Taliban - and their nine-year insurgency becoming viewed as "a national resistance."
The White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, said such remarks are "troubling" and the US has sought a clarification from the Karzai Government in this regard.
"I believe our ambassador, Karl Eikenberry, has met with President Karzai today, to clarify what he meant by these remarks," the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, P J Crowley, told reporters at his daily news briefing.
"We are troubled by the comments that he (Karzai) made yesterday. From our standpoint, we are investing substantial resources to defeat Al Qaida. It's in our interest," he said.
"They are troubling. A real and genuine concern. We are seeking clarification from President Karzai. Those security gains (in Marja) are only secured through competent governance," Gibbs told reporters in a press gaggle.
Karzai's claims called into question whether he had absorbed Obama's message on Sunday, and will also pose a political problem for the US, which has embraced Karzai as a partner despite its distaste for his conduct.
The US last year ordered a surge of 30,000 American troops into Afghanistan, in an effort to finally vanquish the Taliban after an eight year war, but it expects Karzai must do his part by building good governance.
Karzai drew fierce global condemnation for his speech on Friday.
"There was fraud in presidential and provincial council elections -- no doubt that there was a very widespread fraud, very widespread," Karzai told Afghan election commission workers in Kabul.
"But Afghans did not do this fraud. The foreigners did this fraud," he alleged, accusing other countries of interfering in Afghanistan's domestic affairs.
He claimed that such moves risked the 126,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan being seen as "invaders" - terminology used by the Taliban - and their nine-year insurgency becoming viewed as "a national resistance."
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