Afghanistan: This Can't End Well

[Lemur]

Ruh-roh. I forget who formulated the rule, but one of the basics of Middle Eastern gamesmanship is, "Ignore everything they say to you in English in private; only what they say in public in their native language matters." And based on that rule, we're in a spot of bother.

President Hamid Karzai lashed out at his Western backers for the second time in three days, accusing the U.S. of interfering in Afghan affairs and saying the Taliban insurgency would become a legitimate resistance movement if the meddling doesn't stop.

Mr. Karzai, whose government is propped up by billions of dollars in Western aid and nearly 100,000 American troops fighting a deadly war against the Taliban, made the comments during a private meeting with about 60 or 70 Afghan lawmakers Saturday.

At one point, Mr. Karzai suggested that he himself would be compelled to join the other side — that is, the Taliban — if the parliament did not back his controversial attempt to take control of the country's electoral watchdog from the United Nations, according to three of those who attended the meeting, including a close ally of the president.

Mr. Karzai blamed the lawmakers' resistance to his move on a foreign conspiracy, they said. The Afghan president's latest remarks came less than 24 hours after he assured U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that he was committed to working with the U.S. That phone call was precipitated by a similar--but less vitriolic--anti-Western diatribe Mr. Karzai delivered earlier last week.

If you can't trust the local kleptocrat whom you installed by force and prop up with billions of annual dollars, who can you trust?

[al Roumi]

Good, Karzai's feeling the pressure to be accountable and rule in a way that might validate the whole wretched occupation. I wonder how far he would get trying to "join the other side", I'm not convinced that would end (or begin) too well for him. Like it or not, he does depend on the West - and it on him, but only because he is the most (ha!) legitimate leader.

If anyone else could be found to rival or challenge him for similar pan-Afghan electoral support, he would be dropped like a stone. Remember Dr Abdullah Abdullah?

[Centurion1]

dam corrupt bastard.

i dont even know what to do over there regarding creating a government......... iraq was such an easier place to deal with compared to afghanistan. and to be frank much more important in the grand scheme of things.

[Banquo's Ghost]

If you can't trust the local kleptocrat whom you installed by force and prop up with billions of annual dollars, who can you trust?

I refer you to the similar problems the British Empire had in the same neck of the woods. Nothing changes except politicians' inability to learn from history. Puppet kings are notorious for getting ideas above their station. Also see Saddam Hussein.

If anyone else could be found to rival or challenge him for similar pan-Afghan electoral support, he would be dropped like a stone. Remember Dr Abdullah Abdullah?

Indeed, and I note that Karzai was not dropped like a stone but indulged, giving him the confidence to start this millarkey - and making it even more difficult to now cut him loose.

[KukriKhan]

Lawmakers who attended the 2 1/2-hour meeting said it largely consisted of the president lambasting them for rejecting a few days earlier his attempt to take control of the country's Electoral Complaints Commission. They quoted Mr. Karzai as saying the lawmakers were being used by Western officials who want to install a "puppet government" in Afghanistan.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-HA!! Apparently that "irony" stuff escapes not only Americans.

[Lemur]

Ah, it becomes slightly clearer why Kharzai is playing the populist card.

Tribal elders in the Afghan city of Kandahar have sharply criticised President Hamid Karzai over issues of security and corruption.

On a rare visit to the area, the birthplace of the Taliban, he was told few dared join the army for fear of being killed by the militants.

Others accused the president of failing to deal with bribery and nepotism.