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KHALIL NOURI: AFGHANISTAN: MR. KARZAI, WHY DID YOU GO KAMIKAZE?
By Khalil Nouri STAFF WRITER
During the last few days, President Karzai has thrown the “kitchen sink” at his allies, and his own people. Did the American’s rig the election? Is Karzai joining the Taliban or retiring to the south of France? Some say it is drug use, some say simply stress, depression or Napoleonic delusions, but whatever it is, this kind of behavior is signaling the end of any credibility of Karzai as a leader—with some options for his removal.
I’m sorry to hear that President Obama has not continued the typical Bush buddy style monthly video conferencing with you. But was it such a harsh reality request to ask for your personal cooperation in shaping up your country at the expense of American blood and billions of tax dollars? And I’m sorry to see that you feel forced into a corner, and must defend yourself —a corner where Iran and the Taliban would love to accommodate your rescue, at least for a little while until they find you of no use to them.
Your recent comical hullabaloo with the Whitehouse has trickled into a larger public domain that has evidently embarrassed all Afghans. It continues to deteriorate the political climate and is fostering a structure of disunity among your fellow Afghans, and within the NATO alliance; who are wholeheartedly trying to restore peace and prosperity, and more importantly, honor and dignity to your country.
And yet, subsequent to all that gobbledygook brouhaha of blaming the West for the vote rigging that you remarkably and markedly engineered, you are still reluctant or incapable of advocating a plausible plan—as none has been implemented in any post Taliban government—for building viable consensus between you, the Afghan people, and Washington.
Why are you wasting this golden opportunity that Afghanistan hasn’t had in decades, and may never have one again?
After all, if this is your personal nightmarish jihad against the Whitehouse, then why are you dragging the innocent Afghan populace—whom you have promised well being for almost a decade—into this political quagmire?
You also should bear in mind, the looming reality at the dawning of a major U.S. offensive to push the Taliban out of Kandahar, that by you not being a reliable partner to anyone (and especially if the counterinsurgency (COIN) strategy against the Taliban should somehow fail), without the presence of US troops, you and your opium-king brothers would be on the first plane to Doha—and the Almighty Allah will then determine your fate.
C’mon Mr. Karzai, you wouldn’t seriously refute that! Would you?
Even our native street level thug politics (Bad-mashi or Pai-loochi in native languages) makes more sense to us; whenever one feels weak, isolated and in danger, he may seek support from a crony whose presence is in close proximity. But in this reality, the crony (the Taliban whom you are now talking about embracing) is a foe, who awhile back murdered your father.
And, per our code of Pashtunwali (an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, retribution), or what is deemed precedence and procedure in our interpretation of the religion of Islam, you are failing to seek justice in the name of your late father. You have dared to dishonor the memory of this Afghan hero and patriot by talk of joining the insidious organization that murdered him.
Sir, where is your core… your Pashtun values? Where is your allegiance to native Afghan family values?
On the contrary, even if you tried to join those cronies, you will undoubtedly be vetted before they would accept you within their prominent ranks. By the way, Hamid Jan! make sure you invite your vice presidents, Mr. Fahim and Mr. Khalili to join you in the journey to Quetta to see the one eyed Mullah,—who you already offered peace talks despite the multimillion dollar bounty on his life—and good luck in the unification of a neo-Taliban alliance. Also, be careful, if you are in their ranks; watch the skies for Joe Biden’s drones that are remotely controlled from Langley.
In addition, your tarnished image within the tribal elders is at such a negative level that they and their elements are not willing to stand with your gang of thieves against the Taliban—or their relatives. This is the reality.
Mr. Karzai, the fact is that nothing has worked with you; the Crawford Cowboy Diplomatic Corps (CCDC) tried to be pals with you, no success. Their successor, Mr. Obama et al. tried to charm you, no success, and now the time has arrived to do some head scratching as to whether Afghanistan can afford to keep you or not.
Well Mr. President, all indications point to the fact that your days as President of Afghanistan are numbered; and it is time for Afghanistan’s young democracy to prove that it is capable of handling the truth.
A constitution that is revisable by a majority of the parliament can have a no-confidence vote to rid the nation of —Ali Baba and the forty thieves—a corrupt Afghan government should be removed by a constitutional majority of MPs in parliament.
If I could have Mr. Obama’s ears; I would suggest to him that before he decides to fight a war on behalf of a corrupt government, that he use whatever authority and world opinion available to him to call upon the world bodies to act exactly as Papa Bush acted towards Manuel Noriega.
By now, enough evidence exists to arrest everyone involved in this narco-syndicate; by now enough evidence exists to arrest everyone involved in the outright theft of billions of dollars that were designated to help the ordinary people of Afghanistan.
What has anyone done to earn the millions now in offshore accounts?
When is there going to be an accounting of all the wrongs that have been afflicted upon the Afghan people?
We can no longer just stand by and watch everything go down the tubes. We cry out when people stand idly by and watch the commission of a crime right in front of them and do nothing.
How can anyone or any nation now stand idly by and witness criminal activity being perpetrated by a corrupt narco-government on its people?
It is one thing for us to accept and work with a government that is truly attempting to change its ways and is at willing to draw up plans to eliminate the corruption; it is another thing altogether to accept threats and bullying tactics from a government that is willing to join those who are killing our soldiers.
Enough is enough!….
At last, Mr. Karzai, before you went Kamikaze, you should have thought twice and considered that there are alternatives to you and your scatological behavior.
Khalil Nouri is the cofounder of New World Strategies Coalition Inc., a native think tank for nonmilitary solution studies for Afghanistan. www.nwscinc.org
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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=26716
Posted by Khalil Nouri on Apr 13 2010, With 0 Reads, Filed under AfPak, WarZone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Because he’s a president of a sovereign nation, and you have nothing to say about how he leads his country good or bad. Get it? Karzai isn’t preemptively invading other countries like the US does so it’s none of your business or the business of any americans what Karzai does or doesn’t do as leader of his country. How about the Afghans do the same to the president of the US? Oh you object to that? americans continue showing they’re a bunch of arrogant hypocrites.
Sure Mark,
That is your view and you are entitled to it.
You are not representing the majority of Afghans and neither Mr. Karzai is a president appointed by majority. So you may say whatever deems correct to you.
Actually I am quoting the majority of Afghans. Exactly right, Karzai and the rigged elections are the symptom of occupation and invasion and he was installed by the invaders. But when Karzai started to display some spine, represent Afghans and reject the US suddenly the US is a victim and in the right? sorry doesn’t work that way. taliban is the western propaganda bogeyman for afghan resistance, but the taliban tribe represents 10% of Afghan resistance, with most of the resistance being the majority Pashtun tribe, and they are heavily supported. but any sane human Afghan would object to bombs from foreign invaders ripping apart their families, forcing their country into abject poverty and opium growing, looting Afghanistan for foreign contractors, and coldly dismissing the destruction of children, families and towns as “collateral damage” while excusing the invasion of a sovereign nation as for some sham democracy and in their “geopolitical interest”. The US has been laying waste to Afghanistan since Carter and Reagan when it created jihadists to overthrow a prosperous and popular Afghan government because it was “socialist” and therefore an ally of the Soviets. These colonialist mass murder tactics didn’t work in Vietnam or Iraq and they won’t work in Afghanistan. Afghanistan isn’t some weak island nation like the US colony of Puerto Rico, and after nine years they refuse to be humiliated by the invaders. The US and its NATO clones should get a clue.
Mark, if you are an Afghan you would not back Karzai with all cost, and if you are not, then you muast have a diffrent agenda for your opinion. We all know about the history of Taliban and endorsement of the Karzai by the previous US,government, but that is an old story.
Karzai has gone rogue and has burned all the bridges between him and the US, and Coalition Forces by taken side with Ahmadinejad and becoming a Talib again, and with this action he is creating a chaos in Afgfhanistan and by stealing the election for second term nobody knows how to deal with him anymore, and at the same time Pakistan government is very nervous by his friendship with Iran, and that will have a severe consequences for the Afghan people, because they atre a big palyer in the rebuild of Afghanistan
Do you want the US, and coalition forces leave Afghanistan and let the Taliban start another civil war there, or let Taliban rule the country again? You are talking about the casualty of the war, and every war has a price to pay, including foreign soldiers dying in Afghanistan for a good cause. Maybe you have lost a business contract there for some reason that you are so much against the US, and the foreign contractors that are working there to rebuilt the country from ashes. If the foreign contractors don’t do the jobs, who will do it? Local contractors who are a part of the Karzai’s family who will win the contracts and subcontract it to the cheapest contractors from pakistan and pocket the profits, if that’s what you want, nothing will be finished there. Pashtuns are less than 40% of the Afghan populations and not all Pashtuns, and the rest of the 60% support Talibans,they support the US, and coalition forces to be there and create an stable government, but with Karzai’s actions there is less hope for that to happen.
Very well said Zahir Jan,
There are lots of ill-informed people around ..
Thank you,
Khalil
Actually I am quoting the majority of Afghans so it has nothing to do with my view.
Apparently you are one of those rare people who enjoys having his family ripped apart by foreign bombs and his country forced into poverty and opium crops and looted by greedy foreign contractors. Which means you don’t represent the majority of Afghans.
The Afghan resistance is only 10% Taliban tribe despite the propaganda. Most of the resistance is the majority Pashtun tribe and they ARE supported by the Afghans.
Mark,
You are of topic, this discussion is regarding the recent commotion with Karzai and nothing to do with ripping apart families and bombing people.
I am sorry not being able to talk of subject.
Thank you,
Well its really interesting Article and i’m pretty sure that the writer speaks from the Poor Nation . As far as we know Karzai. He has lost many opportunities of our country. He has lost his popularity within a country, and he is using Hyprocracy for the last 8 years. He is supporting the warlords and criminals, corrupted people and drug dealers. He is a weak manager with poor management.He is acting like Iranian President and now a days he became a spokesman for Iranian President, He didn’t compare Iran or Pakistan with Afghanistan. He must depend from 3000 Innocent Afghan Youths who will be kill Soon. They just left their country because of worthless Karzai with his injustice in his administration. He has been failed on his daily tasks. He can’t find out 26 honest, loyal, hard workers country lover,in 25 millions of Afghan People. He represent the whole nation as a corrupted nation by hiring worthless people. I’m pretty sure that Karzai is also involved. If he is honest, loyal, hard worker he will definitely hire greatest people with strong management. The people of Afghanistan will suck his blood. They put themselves in jeopardize to vote for a president but their dreams are destroyed by big fraud in election which was happened by Karzai and Abdullah. How many people have been killed in his province ( Kandahar) ?? There are some really honest and hard workers in our Nation to replace Karzai, Like Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Dr. Anwar-ul-Haq Ahadi, and so others. They have been proved themselves to the Nation and they are passed. We all Afghan voted for Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai. He is our Legal President. Karzai must think about his work and his funny and emotional speeches when he is in a bed. Its a time that He must resign from Palace thats not his personal property. I will make it clear to Mr. Karzai its not the time of former King Zaheershah. People want Security, Jobs, Schools, Health cares. but they know how worthless and useless you are. Your term is the darkest in the History of Afghanistan
Haroon,
Thank you for your posting and your true view of Mr. Karzai.
But show me a better time that Afghanistan has progressed in the last 5or 6 decades?
I will make this clear to all my Afghan friends; there is no way anyone to be the head of Afghan state without tribal backing. None of those technocrats you named has the capability to rule.
Mr. Asharaf Ghani for example; even his own Ahamadzai tribe will not accept him. Mr. Ali Jalali the same and so as for the rest .. It will be nothing but back to square one and the repeat of the same as now.
History will tell you that neither Afghanistan is ready for a free election nor for installment of anyone whose tribe is strong in terms of prominence .. Centuries old tribal structure cannot be changed overnight..
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I guess Mark does not realize that Karzai was installed as interim President by Khalilzad and the Bush Administration against the will of the Afghans at the Bonn convention, who wanted the former King as head of state (just Google the real history). He then used money from Western powers to buy votes to stay in power. Just because he has the title of President doesn’t make him legit. The only things keeping him in power are “American Troops”. How many Americans have to die for guys like you to open your eyes? The solution to this mess is going to come from the Afghans themselves; however, they feel that since we imposed Karzai upon them… they want us to remove him. Do we have the guts to do it ourselves…? I don’t think so… we are just going to wait until all hell breaks loose before we just leave… Or, we can finally clean up the mess we made ourselves by admitting we were wrong in what we did to the Afghan people and clean house; allowing a legitimate Loya Jirga to choose a legitimate Afghan Leader. That Loya Jirga should first travel the world to get a feel for the kind of leader that is needed before they vote.
In a way the Afghan president could do what “LBJ” president Johnson after 1968 Vietnam Tet offensive decided to do, that is withdraw himself from government. He lost focus along with McNamara. I am sure being president of this dysfunctional country with a raging civil war causes his obvious bunker mentality to exacerbate. I can only guess the stress and strain.
For the Afghan president to keep focus, has to very hard. Keeping the mental focus has to be incredibly hard. We have found out over and over in the United States it is very important to keep intellectual focus on our problems if any problems can be solved. What people say about Obama is his ability to keep focus. This I admire about him. He seems unshakable.
For instance. It is hard to solve our financial problems in the US concerning health care if we only talk about how much it will cost to change, not discussing the cost without health care change. It is hard to use human problem solving capacity and focus to solve our banking system corruption, when the only thing we talk about is gays, and gay marriage.
Karzai needs focus. I worry about Karzai becoming isolated and not focusing on solutions. Gary Hart during his bid for the presidency, lost his bid because his opposition put the focus on whether he was a good contender for US president, to his extra marital affair. I am sure he would have made a better president then the republican who was elected.
I never liked Karzai. He looked too arrogant and aloof for someone able to run Afghanistan. He needs a little Rest and Recuperation “R&R” as we used to say in Vietnam. He need to refocus.
You absolutely nailed it really good Archie.
From day one his focus was never to bring good plans in governance, reconstruction, security or even a cordial NATO on his side. I understand there were some flaws on the coalition’s part by bombing civilian areas indiscriminately and that was stopped. The new rules of engagement as well as the implementation of COIN was also took effect.
However, I very well know his style; he comes inside his meeting with his ministers without a plan or any agenda to be discussed. He sits down with not even a daily planner in his presence and has no precise or leadership decision power. Others recommend ideas and whether it is right or wrong he accepts it without approval of an expert. He has mainly focused how to keep his gang happy and fill their pockets so they could back him up in the presidential election which you saw just months ago. He was more worried about himself to win the election rather than thinking for the country.
Afghanistan not only needs a firm fisted leader it also needs a leader who can lead the country into prosperity and success. So far, he has proven none and there is no room for loss of American dollar, lives and average Afghan precious time to prosper and have daily food on their tables.
Well it’s, hup two three four, what the hell are we fighting for ?
The title of the entry is:
Afghanistan: Mr. Karzai, why did you go Kamikazee?
I have two view points on this Muslim murderer.
1. He and Hussein got in a spat over the poppy crop and drug distribution profits in Chicago.
2. He wants to remain alive and atatcking America buys him some time until he can finish looting the treasury then depart.
Marietta, Georgia
Bill Ford
You had the right words Bill. He is just buying time in the expence of American loves and money.
But one thing is not for sure, where is he going to go with all that treasure he will have? Even Shah of Iran could not get away with all that wealth when he left Iran. Also same applies for Marcus of Philipines and many more leaders ..
In regard to what would he do with the money. Somehow this money will be washed through some third party. By someone, organization or country that the media is afraid to touch or question. Who knows the CIA, cutting a deal to let him loose. Today remnants of the Marcos family and friends are living in relative luxury in Switzerland. I know I met them there.
What I find to be the saddest thing about my limited knowledge of Afghanistan is nearly 40 years ago. Now in 2010 there is war all over central Asia.
I had a friend in France who’s brother drove from France trying to get to India. His VW bus broke down somewhere in the mountains of Afghanistan where he sold it to some tribal leader. On the way back he found his VW running well and the steering wheel on the other side of the front seat. These Afghans with limited tools changed the steering column. Amazing
What angers me now this whole area of the world is unsafe for everyone. What happened in 40 years to change this?
Archie,
You made a good point about Afghans making use of everything .. In my youth say early 1960′s, I remember seeing the Czechoslovakian trucks named TATRA that were the work horses for building roads through the Hindukush mountains (the highest tunnel in the world) and Eastern Afghanistan (Jalal-Abad).
I went back in 2002 and 2005 they were still on the roads .. Nothing goes to waste .. Nowhere in Kabul you would see an abandoned car..
Thanks for your posting
Khalil
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AFGHAN_KARZAIS_BROTHER?SITE=MOPAR&SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Here is the latest report about Wali Karzai,
As a Pashtun, I have to admit to this charlatanism that Hamid Karzai’s brother Wali Karzai in this AP interview link is admitting. He has mastered our naive politics and hiding the truth behind the local Afghan tradition and norms. This is exactly how they played against the Brits and the Russians. When the game is changed to portray everybody wants to see him that is a big lie. He has the approval not to see anyone exactly as how the rulers played with the public for centuries. No one had dared to knock the governor’s door or some prominent power brokers home without his approval. Years of tribal politics that they are good at, will takes long time for the West to grasp.
This is an interesting article. It seems an anti-Karzai phenomenon.
I have no doubt that Karzai is favoring things which are not at interest of our Nation. But we should not forget that any one in Karzai’s shoes will be made do so. Everyone says things from a far angle and based on few exaggerated or mis-conducted researches. Everthing on papers may somehow seem realistic but that’s not the truth. He’s done good things too. Sources have it that different countries while donating money have their conditions stuffed at him before giving even a penny. I am asking you Mr. Nouri ” What would you do if you were instead of Karzai? Would you accept condidtions or reject donations and leave your nation to starve and die?” He accepts donations along with conditions of nations just for the sake of poor Afghans. I agree there are some corrupt people in his government but that’s a majority. He’s surounded by warlords and in a country like Afghanistan that’s not a joke. He is handcuffed in most of the cases by those warlords. They too stuff their desires on him saying they will trigger a big catastrophe in the country should he not accept their demands; and they are able to do so. All warlords still have armed men, aminos and foreign supporters.
Is he a leader or a follower?
He must choose one or the other. If he is a leader then act like one, if not, than the warlords should lead him and therefore there is no need for a president.
As a matter of fact, he needs to let go of his brothers, and bring a tribal balance where other Pashtun tribes can be prosperous. There are only “Popalzai” and “Barekzai” who are raking all the dough.
As a matter of fact, he should not be playing wrong foreign policy by taking two trips simultaneously to Iran in the expense of his puppeteer nation whose US body guards are still protecting him. That said, his foundation has been clearly defined as puppet and there is no denial to that.
No matter how much he takes his distance from the US the reality will never change.
As a matter of fact, he should be applying the rule of law or something in his power for holding people responsible for their wrongdoings.
As a matter of fact, he should not have rigged the votes and shown his honesty. And don’t go blame the west for something he did wrong.
As a matter of fact, Kandahar has not stood by him for the support of the upcoming “Operation Omaid” due to his favoritism towards his own tribe and cannot deliver a genuine service to the ordinary people with his corrupt “government in the box.”
.
I can go on with the list if you wish …….
.
As a matter of fact, this coming (his virsion) of Loya Jirga will definitely be a test for him despite that he will hand pick the 1200-1400 participants himself.
By the way, if Taliban could bring law and order than anybody can do the same.
Bottom line: He should not take a responsibility if he cannot deliver the will of the majority.
Mr. Safi, people of Afgahnistan, and especially the tribal leaders have lost respect for Karzai long time a go, because as a leader he never made any hard decisions , and he left it for the US, and coalition leaders to deal with it, and he made himself unavialable to everybody and hid himself in the palace a year a go. The warlord saw his weakness and took adventage of it and grew stronger again, and now, Karzai wants to negotiate and bring them on board, would you like to see Hikmatyar who destroyed Kabul in the 90s, and then fled to Iran, to come back and have major role in Afghanistan’s future?
Becoming friend with Ahmadinejad, who is hanging innocent Afghans by thousends these days, and as a leader doing nothing about it. There is no press release or any statements as a leader of Afghanistan to condemn this action, or suggest a solution, he does the same thing that he always does, nothing!
He lost the respect of the western world and Afghan people again, when he announced that he would join the taliban, if the US, and coalitoin forces don’t leave him alone. What kind of a leader make an statement like that, perhaps the one who lost his mind by not handling the responsibilities, maybe it’s time for him to resign and let the paople of Afghanistan elect someone who unites the tribes and smart enought to deal and negotiate with these countries that donates money, and he is honest and brave not to be affraid of the foreign forces and warlords, and make the right decisions, and and stick with it.