Guests didn’t mind wading through a sea of secretservice agents at the Ritz-Carlton, Washington,D.C. on January 28 for a chance to see the interimleader of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai. Karzai was intown to meet with President Bush and to garnerAmerican governmental and private sector supportfor the rebuilding of Afghanistan. Ambassadors,U.S. congressional leaders including Reps. NancyPelosi and Connie Morella, Afghan ForeignMinister Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Afghan Charged’Affaires Hamid Amin, newly appointed Ministerof Women’s Affairs Dr. Seema Samar, formerAfghan Ambassador to the U.S. Malek Yar, formerU.S. Marine Lt. Colonel Ollie North, local businessleaders, members of Afghanistan’s large expatriatecommunity, and Karzai family members wereamong the many guests.