Washington (CNN) -- An upcoming U.S. visit by Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai could be called off if he continues to make troubling political statements, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday. 
 
 President Obama invited Karzai to visit Washington on May 12, but Gibbs said that subsequent "troubling and untruthful remarks" by the Afghan president have raised questions about the value of such a meeting. 
 
 The government will evaluate any further Karzai remarks to determine whether the meeting should take place, Gibbs said. 
 
 Karzai was re-elected president last year in voting that was marred by irregularities and that required a runoff. 
 
 On Friday, Karzai irritated the Obama administration when he blamed the irregularities on foreigners who want a "puppet government" in Afghanistan. 
 
 He further aggravated Washington, his biggest backer, on Sunday when he told a gathering of tribal leaders that the U.S.-led alliance will not move against Taliban fighters in Kandahar "until you say we can." 
 
 "I can't speak to why he said those things," Gibbs said. "They're troubling. They are confusing. They've been investigated and found to be untruthful." ||||| « Previous | Main | Next » 
 
 White House Refuses to Say If Karzai is U.S. Ally 
 
 White House press secretary Robert Gibbs today continued his criticism of the comments by Afghan President Hamid Karzai -- and when pressed, Gibbs refused to say if Karzai was an ally of the U.S. 
 
 Speaking to Afghan lawmakers over the weekend, Karzai suggested he might have to join the Taliban himself if the United States does not stop “meddling.” Gibbs called Karzai's most recent comments "troubling," "confusing," and "untruthful." 
 
 So ABC News asked: "Is Karzai our ally?" 
 
 Gibbs' response: "Karzai is the democratically elected leader of Afghanistan." 
 
 "That’s not what I asked," ABC News noted. "Is he our ally?" 
 
 Said Gibbs: "There are times in which the actions that he takes are constructive to governance. I would say that the remarks he’s made I can’t imagine that anyone in this country found them anything other than troubling. 
 
 "So our position on this, Jake, is that when the Afghan leaders take steps to improve governance and root out corruption, then the president will say kind words," Gibbs said. "When leaders need to hear stern language from this administration about the consequences of not acting, we’ll do that as well." 
 
 - jpt 
 
 
 
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– The White House may cancel a visit by Hamid Karzai if the Afghan president continues to make volatile statements. Karzai is supposed to come in May, but press secretary Robert Gibbs said his erratic behavior has the administration thinking twice, reports CNN. Karzai's recent bombshells include blaming foreigners for electoral fraud and stating he would join the Taliban if he keeps being pressured by the West. Relations with Karzai have become so strained that Gibbs was unwilling to state that the Afghan president is an "ally" of the US. Prodded by a reporter from ABC News, Gibbs gave a long-winded answer explaining that Obama's relationship with Karzai was based on the merit of his day-to-day actions, not unequivocal trust. He called Karzai's recent statements "troubling" and "confusing."