Karzai made the unusual statement at a closed-door meeting Saturday with selected lawmakers — just days after kicking up a diplomatic controversy with remarks alleging foreigners were behind fraud in last year’s disputed elections.
Lawmakers dismissed the latest comment as hyperbole, but it will add to the impression the president — who relies on tens of thousands of US and NATO forces to fight the insurgency and prop up his government — is growing increasingly erratic and unable to exert authority without attacking his foreign backers.
“He said that ‘if I come under foreign pressure, I might join the Taleban’,” said Farooq Marenai, who represents the eastern province of Nangarhar.
“He said rebelling would change to resistance,” Marenai said — apparently suggesting that the militant movement would then be redefined as one of resistance against a foreign occupation rather than a rebellion against an elected government.
Marenai said Karzai appeared nervous and repeatedly demanded to know why parliament last week had rejected legal reforms that would have strengthened the president’s authority over the country’s electoral institutions.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Monday expressed further frustration with Karzai’s remarks, but said a meeting between him and US President Barack Obama in May was still scheduled.
Karzai’s latest reported comments set off new tensions in the US-Afghan relationship, after the White House condemned and sought clarification over a similar tirade by the Afghan leader last week.
Gibbs said however that Karzai’s comments would not yet cause the United States to cancel his visit to the White House next month, would not effect funding requests pending in Congress for the US Afghan war effort.
“As of now the meeting on May 12 is still on the schedule,” Gibbs told reporters.
“The remarks are genuinely troubling. The substance of the remarks as have been looked into by many are obviously not true.” The White House spokesman also said he sympathized with Americans who might be troubled by the fact the remarks by the Afghan leader occurred after Washington had poured substantial money and manpower into Afghanistan.
“On behalf of the American people we are frustrated,” Gibbs said.
“I think that families all over this country have watched their loved ones go off a long away to serve bravely in our armed forces, to help a country establish peace and security.
“I think anyone can understand that would be frustrating.”
Meanwhile, two other Afghan lawmakers said Karzai twice raised the threat to join the Taleban insurgency.
The lawmakers, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of political repercussions, said Karzai also dismissed concerns over possible damage his comments had caused to relations with the United States.
The lawmakers said they felt Karzai was pandering to hard-line or pro-Taleban members of parliament and had no real intention of joining the insurgency.
Nor does the Afghan leader appear concerned that the US might abandon him, having said numerous times that the US would not leave Afghanistan because it perceives a presence here to be in its national interest.
Karzai spokesman Waheed Omar’s phone was turned off and another number for him rang unanswered Monday. Deputy spokesman Hamed Elmi’s phone rang unanswered.
