KABUL SESSION: Afghan President Hamid Karzai (right) greets Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday on a staircase at the Presidential Palace in Kabul. (AP)
KABUL — Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a show of rare, recent unity between their two nations yesterday, as the US military ceded control of its last detention facility in Afghanistan, ending a longstanding irritant in relations.
Kerry arrived in the Afghan capital of Kabul on an unannounced visit amid concerns that Karzai may be jeopardizing progress in the war against extremism with anti-American rhetoric.
After a private meeting, Kerry said he and Karzai were “on the same page” on security and reconciliation issues.
Karzai had infuriated American officials by accusing Washington of colluding with Taliban insurgents to keep Afghanistan weak even as the Obama administration pressed ahead with plans to hand off security responsibility to Afghan forces and end NATO’s combat mission by the end of next year.
At a news conference after their talks, Karzai told reporters his comments had been misinterpreted by the media.
“We’re on the same page,” Kerry said. “I don’t think there is any disagreement between us.”
Earlier yesterday, the United States ceded control of the Parwan detention facility near the US-run Bagram military base. Karzai had demanded control of Parwan as a matter of national sovereignty.