Bush and Karzai pledge to work more closely

President George Bush said today that US troops in Afghanistan will remain under US control despite Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s request for more authority over them.

“Of course, our troops will respond to US commanders,” Bush said, with Karzai standing at his side at the White House. At the the same time, Bush said the relationship between Washington and Kabul is “to co-operate and consult”.

Bush also said that Afghan prisoners under US control in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and elsewhere, would be slowly returned to their home country.

“We will do this over time,” he said. “We have to make sure the facilities are there.”

Bush had high praise for Karzai as a valued anti-terror partner and “showing countries in the neighbourhood what’s possible”.

But Karzai came to their meeting with a long list of grievances. Among them: more control over US military operations, custody of Afghan prisoners held by the United States and more assistance in fighting opium trade.

As to the opium trade, Bush said: “We have to work together to eradicate poppy crops.”

Karzai said that he hoped Afghanistan would be free of poppy crops within five to six years and that Afghan farmers could find alternative crops like honey dew melons and pomegranates.

There are about 20,000 US troops in Afghanistan.

That is in addition to about 8,200 troops from NATO countries in Kabul and elsewhere.