Afghan president was isolated before slipping into exile

By KATHY GANNON
Associated Press

President Ashraf Ghani has quietly slipped out of Afghanistan, a lonely figure after seven years as president. The isolated Ghani abandoned the presidential palace Sunday with only a coterie of confidants. His style of rule was often characterized as cantankerous and arrogant, rarely heeding the advice of his government and often publicly berating those who challenged him. Once seen as the best hope for his troubled nation, the Western-educated Ghani clashed with his would-be allies and surrounded himself with loyalists. Experts say his poor leadership style and inability to compromise were major factors in his government’s collapse.