Afghans Face 'Two Demons' - Karzai

The erosion of that relationship has roots in Afghanistan's most recent presidential election, Khalilzad says, when the Obama administration was perceived by many to be in support of Karzai's opponents. He says that did a lot of damage to the trust between the two presidents.
"Never point a gun to the king's head, because if he survives he's not going to forget that," Khalilzad says. "That's what we have at one level with President Karzai at the present time."
An Afghan by birth, Khalilzad has seen his country invaded, occupied and go through different phases of socialism, communism and even monarchy. But he says he is "cautiously optimistic" about Afghanistan's future — if there is a strategic partnership agreement and a residual U.S. presence. MORE