Reply #18: Gibbs: Washington remains concerned about Karzai

[The Northerner]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration voiced fresh concern on Monday about a series of critical statements that Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has made about the West and America's role in his war-torn country.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said reports Karzai threatened in a private meeting with lawmakers to abandon the political process and join the Taliban insurgency if he continued to receive pressure from Western backers to reform his government are troubling.

"On behalf of the American people, we're frustrated with the remarks," Gibbs told reporters.

Karzai's comments are the latest in a string of statements by the Afghan leader that have concerned U.S. officials. On Thursday, Karzai lashed out against the U.N. and the international community, accusing them of perpetrating a "vast fraud" in last year's presidential polls as part of a conspiracy to deny him re-election or tarnish his victory, accusations the U.S. has denied.

"The substance of the remarks are obviously not true," Gibbs said.

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