Kabul, Oct 25(ANI): The Afghan President's office has sought to distance Hamid Karzai from his controversial remarks in a television interview, wherein he had asserted that Afghanistan would side with Pakistan in a hypothetical war against the United States.
The presidential palace said that Karzai's comments to Pakistan's Geo TV, aired Saturday, had been misinterpreted, The Los Angeles Times reports.
Siamak Herawi, a spokesman for Karzai, said that the president had not intended any slight to the Western governments that have spent billions of dollars shoring up the Afghan administration during the 10-year war.
"The media misinterpreted [Karzai's] speech," Herawi said, adding that Karzai had been trying to express solidarity with Pakistan for having taken in millions of Afghan refugees during decades of war and the rule of the Taliban movement.
Karzai's remarks came toward the end of a lengthy interview conducted in English and Urdu, in which the Afghan leader repeatedly urged Pakistan to move against Islamic militants who take refuge on its soil, according to a transcript released by Karzai's office.
Responding to a question whether Kabul would support Islamabad in the event of a conflict between Pakistan and the US, Karzai initially responded "God forbid," but then went on to pledge his country's support for its neighbour.
"If a war ever breaks [out] between Pakistan and America, we will side [with] Pakistan," he said, according to the transcript. "Afghanistan would stand with you. Afghanistan is your brother."
Western military officials and diplomats publicly played down the significance of Karzai's comments, even while privately expressing varying degrees of bafflement and dismay, the report said. (ANI)
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