Afghan envoy sees bumps ahead in US relationship

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Afghanistan's ambassador to the United States says his country is committed to a long-term partnership with the U.S., but the road ahead may be full of bumps.

The diplomat, Eklil Hakimi, says his government is an ally in the fight against terrorism and wants to make sure that terrorists cannot again use Afghanistan as a base to threaten the security of other countries.

But a series of incidents has severely strained ties with the U.S.

One was from the inadvertent burning of Qurans by U.S. soldiers. More recently, the war effort was driven to a new low by the killing of nine Afghan children and seven adults, allegedly by a U.S. soldier.

The ambassador tells CNN's "State of the Union" that Afghanistan is working to define its relationship with the U.S. for the years to come, and that's the big picture. But he acknowledges that "down the road, it's a bumpy road."

As for making sure the alleged shooter is brought to justice, Hakimi says "we trust the United States and we know how important this relationship is."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-03-18-US-Afghanistan/id-efa1c4c0ebbe49daa44a0a3869d598f4

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