It is a truism that you don't get to pick your enemies, but in global politics it is often true that you don't get to pick your friends either. That's the situation President Obama finds himself in today and Thursday as he meets in Washington with the weak and not terribly popular presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan. His challenge is to build confidence and forge a common counter- insurgency strategy with these U.S. allies who do not trust each other or, necessarily, Obama.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whose control barely extends beyond the capital of Kabul, accuses Pakistan of allowing Taliban fighters to seek sanctuary across their common border. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, battling his own insurgency within 60 miles of the capital of Islamabad, thinks Afghanistan is too cozy with Pakistan's historic enemy, India. Both leaders, meanwhile, bristle at U.S. criticism of their corrupt and ineffective governments, even as they worry about losing U.S. support.
