Afghan vote turns up heat on Obama

KABUL, Afghanistan – Hamid Karzai was declared the winner by default Monday in Afghanistan’s fraud-marred presidential election, increasing the pressure on President Obama to end his marathon deliberations at a time when a scaled-down version of his commander’s ambitious plans is gaining support.

Obama welcomed Karzai’s election with as much admonishment as praise, telling America’s partner in war that he expected a more serious effort to end corruption in his government and ready his nation to defend itself when international troops ultimately withdraw.

“I emphasized that this has to be a point in time in which we begin to write a new chapter,” Obama said in describing his congratulatory phone call to Karzai. The U.S. president said that when Karzai offered back assurances, Obama told him that “the proof is not going to be in words. It’s going to be in deeds.”

Afghan politicians with ties to Karzai said they expected him to try to restore credibility abroad by offering Cabinet posts to supporters of his chief rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah.