Despite an election campaigned marred by accusations of fraud, the US yesterday showed it holds no grudges against its man in Kabul, Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The US rolled out the red carpet for him, following public spats that have cast a shadow over joint war efforts.
After chiding Karzai for months over alleged corruption and vote-rigging, US officials hope the four-day visit and extended face time with leaders including President Barack Obama will help forge personal bonds and a better working relationship.
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The US ambassador to Kabul, Karl Eikenberry, who had authored a scathing leaked memo that questioned Karzai's reliability as a partner, flew with the Afghan leader to Washington and said interests were "never better aligned".
Through "the talks over the next several days, I think we're going to emerge with even better alignment," Eikenberry told reporters at the White House on Monday.
"Afghanistan is a close friend and ally, and of course I highly respect President Karzai in that capacity," he said.
Richard Holbrooke - the envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan who has had particularly tense ties with Karzai - personally greeted the Afghan leader as he landed early on Monday.
"There was a period where the waters got roiled," Holbrooke said afterward. "What I will say categorically... that period ended."
The visit comes as the US military gears up for a crucial new stage of Obama's strategy to surge 30,000 extra troops into Afghanistan, in a bid to defeat the Taliban and allow US forces to start coming home next year.
General Stanley McChrystal, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, told the White House news briefing: "I have confidence that our campaign will succeed."
But he warned that, as US forces pressed on with critical military aspects of the plan, there would be "increased violence".
