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| For Obama, Ghani Offers Hope of a Less Fractious Relationship | For Obama, Ghani Offers Hope of a Less Fractious Relationship |
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| WASHINGTON — When President Obama meets this week with Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan’s new president, he will finally be sitting across from an Afghan leader who is not brooding, agitated, suspicious or openly belligerent toward his American allies. | WASHINGTON — When President Obama meets this week with Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan’s new president, he will finally be sitting across from an Afghan leader who is not brooding, agitated, suspicious or openly belligerent toward his American allies. |
| The previous Afghan leader, Hamid Karzai, had a relationship with Mr. Obama that was fractious and poisonous almost from the beginning. The new Afghan president arrives for Tuesday’s Oval Office meeting looking for a similar menu of American commitments on troops and money as his predecessor, but Mr. Ghani is well-schooled in Washington’s culture of politics and diplomacy: He spent 15 years in Washington at the World Bank and used to own a house in suburban Bethesda, Md. | The previous Afghan leader, Hamid Karzai, had a relationship with Mr. Obama that was fractious and poisonous almost from the beginning. The new Afghan president arrives for Tuesday’s Oval Office meeting looking for a similar menu of American commitments on troops and money as his predecessor, but Mr. Ghani is well-schooled in Washington’s culture of politics and diplomacy: He spent 15 years in Washington at the World Bank and used to own a house in suburban Bethesda, Md. |
| “With Karzai, it was always troubleshooting, dealing with his wounded pride,” said Vali R. Nasr, a former senior State Department official who worked on Afghanistan and Pakistan and is dean of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. “Ghani will be a much more substantive interlocutor for President Obama to have a meaningful conversation about the future of Afghanistan.” | “With Karzai, it was always troubleshooting, dealing with his wounded pride,” said Vali R. Nasr, a former senior State Department official who worked on Afghanistan and Pakistan and is dean of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. “Ghani will be a much more substantive interlocutor for President Obama to have a meaningful conversation about the future of Afghanistan.” |
| But some substantive issues could remain a challenge: Mr. Ghani is certain to push hard to keep the current 10,000 American troops and thousands of private contractors in his country through, or perhaps beyond, 2016 when Mr. Obama insists the United States’ longest war will come to an end. Mr. Ghani is also seeking long-term commitments of money and support from the United States, where members of the public are skeptical of the value of that investment. | But some substantive issues could remain a challenge: Mr. Ghani is certain to push hard to keep the current 10,000 American troops and thousands of private contractors in his country through, or perhaps beyond, 2016 when Mr. Obama insists the United States’ longest war will come to an end. Mr. Ghani is also seeking long-term commitments of money and support from the United States, where members of the public are skeptical of the value of that investment. |
| “If the troops come out in 2016, the money is going to come out 20 minutes later,” said David Barno, the senior American commander of American and coalition forces in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. “That’s going to be a disaster. They can’t operate without that money.” | “If the troops come out in 2016, the money is going to come out 20 minutes later,” said David Barno, the senior American commander of American and coalition forces in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. “That’s going to be a disaster. They can’t operate without that money.” |
| And Mr. Ghani can be difficult. His broadly pro-Western outlook is balanced by a deep nationalist streak, and he is known in Afghanistan as much for his technocratic skills as he is for his short temper. Western diplomats know well that he is more than willing to “give us the back of his hand,” as one American official put it, when he thinks Afghanistan’s interests are being trampled by its allies. | And Mr. Ghani can be difficult. His broadly pro-Western outlook is balanced by a deep nationalist streak, and he is known in Afghanistan as much for his technocratic skills as he is for his short temper. Western diplomats know well that he is more than willing to “give us the back of his hand,” as one American official put it, when he thinks Afghanistan’s interests are being trampled by its allies. |
| Mr. Ghani also heads a government that on paper is more divided than that of his predecessor, and it is considered shakier. Widespread fraud during last year’s election set off a postelection crisis that nearly turned violent, and it took Secretary of State John Kerry to personally broker a deal in which Mr. Ghani serves as president and his electoral rival, Abdullah Abdullah, as the chief executive, a newly created position. | |
| Though both men have sought to put a brave public face on their uneasy partnership — they jointly wrote an essay this weekend for The Washington Post, for instance — behind the scenes, Mr. Ghani has sought to centralize power in his office, cutting out many ministers and other officials, especially those from Mr. Abdullah’s camp. | Though both men have sought to put a brave public face on their uneasy partnership — they jointly wrote an essay this weekend for The Washington Post, for instance — behind the scenes, Mr. Ghani has sought to centralize power in his office, cutting out many ministers and other officials, especially those from Mr. Abdullah’s camp. |
| But six months after Mr. Ghani assumed office, a number of crucial cabinet posts remain unfilled. And in parts of Afghanistan that supported Mr. Abdullah, whose main constituency is among the ethnic Tajiks of northern Afghanistan, discontent with Mr. Ghani, who is Pashtun, runs deep, reflecting a divide that has often been the cause of violence in recent history. | But six months after Mr. Ghani assumed office, a number of crucial cabinet posts remain unfilled. And in parts of Afghanistan that supported Mr. Abdullah, whose main constituency is among the ethnic Tajiks of northern Afghanistan, discontent with Mr. Ghani, who is Pashtun, runs deep, reflecting a divide that has often been the cause of violence in recent history. |
| Mr. Abdullah is accompanying Mr. Ghani to Washington, but the focus for American officials is largely on Mr. Ghani. | Mr. Abdullah is accompanying Mr. Ghani to Washington, but the focus for American officials is largely on Mr. Ghani. |
| Advisers to Mr. Ghani and Mr. Obama expect that they will relate easily. Mr. Ghani is far more of a financial technocrat than a natural politician, and his professorial approach to governing is sure to seem reassuring to his American counterpart. | Advisers to Mr. Ghani and Mr. Obama expect that they will relate easily. Mr. Ghani is far more of a financial technocrat than a natural politician, and his professorial approach to governing is sure to seem reassuring to his American counterpart. |
| In the eyes of American officials, Mr. Ghani has also proved willing to take on the role of wartime leader, unlike Mr. Karzai, who sought to limit raids and airstrikes by foreign forces, and even by the Afghan Army over which he presided. | In the eyes of American officials, Mr. Ghani has also proved willing to take on the role of wartime leader, unlike Mr. Karzai, who sought to limit raids and airstrikes by foreign forces, and even by the Afghan Army over which he presided. |
| “President Karzai was not acting as a commander in chief,” said Nader Nadery, who runs the Afghan Research and Evaluation Unit, a policy research center in Kabul. In contrast, he said, Mr. Ghani is “reaching out to the army; looking into the different layers of the security forces, understanding what are their major problems; and running some of the operations in direct involvement of himself.” | “President Karzai was not acting as a commander in chief,” said Nader Nadery, who runs the Afghan Research and Evaluation Unit, a policy research center in Kabul. In contrast, he said, Mr. Ghani is “reaching out to the army; looking into the different layers of the security forces, understanding what are their major problems; and running some of the operations in direct involvement of himself.” |
| American officials underscore that there are no intractable differences between Mr. Ghani and Mr. Obama. American and Afghan officials predicted that a series of agreements would be formally announced when the presidents take questions from reporters at the conclusion of their meetings. | American officials underscore that there are no intractable differences between Mr. Ghani and Mr. Obama. American and Afghan officials predicted that a series of agreements would be formally announced when the presidents take questions from reporters at the conclusion of their meetings. |
| Officials hinted strongly that Mr. Obama would agree to Mr. Ghani’s request to keep troops at close to their current levels of about 10,000 for the next 18 months. The presidents have discussed the issue three times over a secure video link, and while officials said no final decision has been made, they said the administration wants to be “responsive” on the issue. | Officials hinted strongly that Mr. Obama would agree to Mr. Ghani’s request to keep troops at close to their current levels of about 10,000 for the next 18 months. The presidents have discussed the issue three times over a secure video link, and while officials said no final decision has been made, they said the administration wants to be “responsive” on the issue. |
| “So, absolutely, we expect some discussion about President Ghani’s request for flexibility” on troop levels, said Jeff Eggers, a senior adviser on Afghanistan and Pakistan for the National Security Council. | “So, absolutely, we expect some discussion about President Ghani’s request for flexibility” on troop levels, said Jeff Eggers, a senior adviser on Afghanistan and Pakistan for the National Security Council. |
| Mr. Ghani and Mr. Abdullah arrive in the United States on Sunday for what will be a five-day series of meetings, lunches, dinners and tourist visits with Mr. Obama, top American diplomats, members of Congress, the news media and others. | Mr. Ghani and Mr. Abdullah arrive in the United States on Sunday for what will be a five-day series of meetings, lunches, dinners and tourist visits with Mr. Obama, top American diplomats, members of Congress, the news media and others. |
| Before sitting down with Mr. Obama at the White House on Tuesday, Mr. Ghani will spend Monday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in the mountains of Maryland, in a series of sessions led by Mr. Kerry and other top officials. | Before sitting down with Mr. Obama at the White House on Tuesday, Mr. Ghani will spend Monday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in the mountains of Maryland, in a series of sessions led by Mr. Kerry and other top officials. |
| Administration officials said those meetings would include a discussion of Afghan security led by Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, a luncheon focused on regional cooperation issues and a session on the economic challenges for Afghanistan led by Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew. | |
| “This is a different relationship than we had under President Karzai,” Mr. Eggers said in a briefing with reporters last week. “It’s clearly more cooperative and better.” | “This is a different relationship than we had under President Karzai,” Mr. Eggers said in a briefing with reporters last week. “It’s clearly more cooperative and better.” |
| That difference underscores what American officials say is the main purpose of Mr. Ghani’s visit: to establish a new and productive relationship between the governments of the two countries after more than a decade of fitful ties. | |
| During his final years in office, Mr. Karzai often publicly cast the United States as the main problem in Afghanistan, not the Taliban. Before one visit to the White House in 2011, Mr. Karzai accused Americans of meddling in a previous election and was quoted as saying that he would join the Taliban if the United States did not stop pressuring him. | During his final years in office, Mr. Karzai often publicly cast the United States as the main problem in Afghanistan, not the Taliban. Before one visit to the White House in 2011, Mr. Karzai accused Americans of meddling in a previous election and was quoted as saying that he would join the Taliban if the United States did not stop pressuring him. |
| Doug Ollivant, who worked in the National Security Council for Mr. Obama and for President George W. Bush, said Mr. Ghani is a “Western-oriented” leader who would be comfortable rubbing shoulders with intellectuals at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, or the Aspen Ideas Forum in Colorado. | |
| “He’s a creature of Washington, a creature of Aspen and Davos,” Mr. Ollivant said. “He’s extremely comfortable moving in these circles.” | “He’s a creature of Washington, a creature of Aspen and Davos,” Mr. Ollivant said. “He’s extremely comfortable moving in these circles.” |
| Dan Feldman, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department, said the leaders of the new government in Afghanistan are “able, competent partners” who have a “very different vision for what’s best for Afghanistan, and one that’s very much in alignment with what we have laid out in all these various spheres, from security to economic, to international partnership, to reconciliation.” | Dan Feldman, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department, said the leaders of the new government in Afghanistan are “able, competent partners” who have a “very different vision for what’s best for Afghanistan, and one that’s very much in alignment with what we have laid out in all these various spheres, from security to economic, to international partnership, to reconciliation.” |