Karzai, Clinton wrap up negotiations

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is wrapping up a four-day visit to Washington with a televised give-and-take with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Obama administration has done its best to repair strained relations with the Afghan leader, its partner in the war agains t mi l i tant s i n Afghanistan. Karzai, meanwhile, will continue to seek to convince Americans that his regime is worth fighting and dying for, with a visit to Arlington National Cemetery and private talks with top lawmakers. After a Capitol Hill lunch hosted by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., Karzai was to appear with Clinton at the U.S. Institute of Peace for what was billed as a "moderated discussion." They were expected to talk about the ups and downs of the relationship and the way ahead. Karzai leaves Washington on Friday. Before heading back to Kabul he is expected to visit Fort Campbell, Ky., home of the 101st Airborne Division, which is going to Afghanistan over the next several weeks, according to U.S. and Afghan officials. Today's events in Washington cap a series of meetings aimed at ending months of sniping and frustration over management of the war and fraud surrounding Karzai's re-election last year. Both Obama and Karzai said at the White House on Wednesday that such disagreements are normal with so much at stake. "There are moments when we speak frankly to each other, and that frankness will only contribute to the strength of the relationship," Karzai said at a joint news conference with Obama. Despite noting gains that have been made since he ordered thousands of additional U.S. troops into Afghanistan, Obama said the war will get worse before it gets better. He stressed, though, that his plan to begin withdrawing U.S. forces next summer remains on track. "What I've tried to emphasize is the fact that there is going to be some hard fighting over the next several months," Obama said.