There were no handshakes between them, no words that were unspoken, nothing that could ease the tensions between them.

In the midst of war of words between Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf [Images] and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, even US President George W Bush [Images] seemed helpless.

Despite having brought the leaders of the two countries on a common platform, inviting them over for dinner, Bush was unable to alter the political equation. Both Karzai and Musharraf, ever since they landed in the United States last week to attend the United Nations General Assembly, have been engaged in a war of words, with each one blaming the other for the resurgence of the Taliban.

They continued in that vein right up to Wednesday night's dinner, were stiff and distant and the frostiness was palpable during the brief Rose Garden welcoming ceremony at the White House.

Just ahead of the dinner meet, Karzai's told CNN that the use of extremism as an 'instrument of national policy' was not in the best interests of Pakistan.

However, Musharraf shot back saying that as a Pashtun, Karzai should understand the conflicting loyalties of the people located near either side of the border and that there are Taliban members, including Mullah Omar, on the Afghanistan side of the border. 

Image: US President George W Bush is flanked by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf ahead of their meeting at the White House.
Photograph: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

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