"There's too much poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. And I made it very clear to the president that ... we have got to work together to eradicate [the] poppy crop," Bush said.
Karzai has been cooperative, and a UN report showing a dip in poppy production is a good sign, Bush said.
"Exactly," Karzai said, nodding.
A diplomatic cable sent on May 13 from the US embassy in Kabul to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said a US-sponsored crackdown on the narcotics industry had not been very effective, partly because Karzai "has been unwilling to assert strong leadership," according to a New York Times report on Sunday.
Karzai defended his government's efforts and said that with foreign assistance his country could be free of poppy crops in five to six years.
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