Karzai thanks Bush for freeing Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in what may have been their final meeting, Friday discussed progress to rebuild Afghanistan.

Bush, who leaves office in January, said if you listen to the people who are actually on the ground working with Afghan citizens on agriculture, education or infrastructure "you'll understand why I said that there is progress or promise -- and hope."

Joining the president at the White House meeting was U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Josh Bolten, White House chief of staff, and 13 people in Kabul via video conference, including members of U.S.-led provincial reconstruction teams.

U.S. troops invaded Afghanistan in 2001 and saved Karzai from Taliban forces.

Karzai said U.S. efforts over the past seven years had made life better in Afghanistan.

"You will be leaving office, Mr. President, together with the vice president, in a few months from today," Karzai said. "But I would like you to remember as you leave office that Afghanistan will remember you tremendously, in a nice way, with affection, and you are there in our memory, in a golden place."