On war front, Obama rediscovers personality politics FEATURE 05/17/2010

On war front, Obama rediscovers personality politics

FEATURE 05/17/2010 WASHINGTON — From gala receptions to long walks in the park, the Barack Obama administration is embracing a brand of personality politics with the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan that it once scorned. Taking office, Obama made the fight against extremism in Pakistan and Afghanistan a top priority but also tried to depersonalize what he saw as predecessor George W. Bush’s perilously chummy relationships. Obama administration officials openly mused on whether elements of the Pakistani establishment kept ties to extremists and pressed Afghan President Hamid Karzai hard on allegations of corruption. The conclusion, more than a year later, is that the approach backfired. The White House welcomed Karzai on Wednesday with a red carpet and public kind words, just weeks after it threatened to yank away the invitation after he made a series of strident remarks critical of the West. Karzai was invited for meals with Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who later took the Afghan leader on a stroll through the rose gardens of the historic Dumbarton Oaks mansion..... MORE   Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100517com3.html

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