More contextual confusion

Did he, or didn't he, that is the question.

Here is the original statement from Karzai of Afghanistan on Saturday, October 22;

"God forbid, If any time war erupts between Pakistan and America, Afghanistan will side with Pakistan"

Supposedly the statement was in reference to refugees from Pakistan which, in the event of war would be welcome in Afghanistan. If that is the case, why did Karzai not use the word refugees?

Either way, Karzai has shown himself to be less the friend of the US and more an ally of Islamists and jihadists. This is another attempt at spinning the truth to say what we want to hear.

From AFP/Yahoo October 24

Karzai backtracks on controversial Pakistan remarks

President Hamid Karzai sought to distance himself Monday from controversial remarks made in an interview in which he saidAfghanistan would back Pakistan against the US if the two ever came to blows.

The presidential palace said Karzai's comments, made in an interview with private Pakistani television station Geo at the weekend, were "misinterpreted".

Karzai has said that his country would support Pakistan if it was attacked by either the United States or India.

"God forbid, If any time war erupts between Pakistan and America, Afghanistan will side with Pakistan," Karzai said in an interview aired late Saturday.

The prospect of all-out conflict between the US and Pakistan remains remote, despite strained relations in recent months, following the killing of Osama bin Laden by US commandos in a secret raid in a Pakistani garrison town.

Nevertheless the comments raised eyebrows among Western officials in Kabul allied to the 10-year campaign to keep the Taliban from returning to power.

Christopher Chambers, a NATO spokesman, told reporters in Kabul that "we all need to focus on much wider dialogue that's required for peace... and which the people of both countries mostly certainly want and certainly deserve."

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nulandwould not comment directly on Karzai's remarks.

"It's not an issue because it's not going to happen," she said of the hypothetical war, quoting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Karzai's office insisted the remarks were broadcast out of context.

Of course they were, it is us who misunderstand the obvious.

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