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Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, Threatens to Block Nato Offensive
The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, has cast doubt over Nato's planned summer offensive against the Taliban in the southern province of Kandahar, as more than 10,000 American troops pour in for the fight.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrives at 10 Downing Street Karzai threatened to delay or even cancel the operation - one of the
biggest of the nine-year war - after being confronted in Kandahar by
elders who said it would bring strife, not security, to his home
province.
Visiting last week to rally support for the offensive, the president was instead overwhelmed by a barrage of complaints about corruption and misrule. As he was heckled at a shura of 1,500 tribal leaders and elders, he appeared to offer them a veto over military action. "Are you happy or unhappy for the operation to be carried out?" he asked.
The elders shouted back: "We are not happy."
"Then until the time you say you are happy, the operation will not happen," Karzai replied.
General Stanley McChrystal, the Nato commander, who was sitting behind him, looked distinctly apprehensive. The remarks have compounded US anger and bewilderment with Karzai, who has already accused the United States of rigging last year's presidential elections and even threatened to switch sides to join the Taliban.
For President Barack Obama, the battle to drive the Taliban from their heartland is seen as the main test of his "surge" strategy to send 30,000 extra US troops to Afghanistan. The United States calls Kandahar the "centre of gravity" of the war in Afghanistan.
Senior commanders and diplomats emphasise, however, that success would depend on action by Karzai to eliminate corruption and set up a form of local government.
Nato's plans envisage political manoeuvres, from a purge of provincial leadership to the creation of precinct councils, to tackle the roots of the Taliban rebellion. The aim is to wrest power from so-called warlords - including the president's own brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai.
With the Afghan president increasingly regarded as "gone rogue", hopes of such action were fading. One US official said after the shura that Karzai had proved neither a reliable ally nor popular with his own people: "He can rail against the West all he likes - no one wants him to look like a foreign puppet. The trouble is, his erratic speeches are matched by erratic actions. That's why this tension is undermining the offensive."
The latest row began when Karzai decried "huge fraud" in the elections, saying it was "done by the foreigners". After telephoning Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, the next day to clarify his remarks, Karzai escalated the attack. Witnesses said he told MPs at a private meeting: "If I come under foreign pressure, I might join the Taliban." His spokesman hastily denied it.
In Kandahar he persisted, deflecting complaints against himself with further criticism of outsiders and saying he had now "rescued myself from foreigners' orders".
Few elders at the shura seemed impressed. They pressed for a purge of his officials. "If we speak out and if we tell you the truth of what's happening here, we will not last the night," said one elder. "We will be assassinated. Everyone is scared."
A white-bearded frail man stood up, leaning on a walking stick, and said: "The other day people came with guns and told me to shut my shop and go to my house. I phoned the police. They said, ‘It's none of our business and we don't care'."
Sitting just off the stage at the meeting was the president's brother. Ahmed Wali Karzai is the head of Kandahar provincial council and is alleged by US officials to profit from drug trafficking and organised crime. The president is reported to have refused US requests to remove him from his post.
On the streets of the city this weekend there appeared to be little or no support for a Nato push in the province. "Look what happened in Marjah," said one local government official in Kandahar, referring to the last US offensive launched in February in central Helmand province.
"The US controls the place by day but the Taliban control it by night. What is the point? If you help the government, you will be murdered."
At a popular coffee shop in the city centre, Khaled, a medical student from Kabul, said the influence of the Taliban was creeping back into the area.
"A Nato offensive here will not help," he added.
"We know what they do. They arrive in great numbers and provide security for two weeks and then they go and the insecurity returns."
General Karl Eikenberry, the US ambassador to Afghanistan, had warned Clinton about Karzai's character last year. He said that McChrystal's proposals for a a troop surge should not be supported unless the president changed.
"President Karzai is not an adequate strategic partner," he wrote in a telegram that was later leaked.
- Posted in
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67 Comments so far
Show AllGo Karzai !! Willing to defy the most powerful corrupt violent criminal orgnization in history.
Pashtuns are tough.
As far as Wali just read between the lines, he refuses to join the CIA heroin cartel.
Did you read that three Italian NGO's were detained for being involved in a plot to assassinate the little boy raping governor the USA installed in Helmund?
When your super evil everyone turns against you.
Karzai is willing to negotiate with the Taliban even though they murdered his Father as governor of Kandahar.
The Taliban brokering peace with Karzai were arrested by the Pakistani's about a month ago, who has an interest in endless war? Corporate USA.
Viva Karzai! Viva Pastuns! Viva Zalaya! Viva MLK (memory)
And, for those three Italian NGOs, Viva l'Italia!
Invasions and occupations ain't what they used to be. They just haven't been the same since the days of Nazi Germany and Vichy France.
For all its much-vaunted, high-tech military prowess, the "world's only superpower" can't seem to get anything right, even when its backed by a UN resolution, a NATO alliance and a hand-picked puppet government. The Chinese and Russians must be laughing up their sleeves about having sanctioned this total fiasco and its various mission creep extensions. Even the Afghans themselves must snicker quietly at times when they're not too busy with resistance-style sabotage or too sad burying the victims of "surgical strikes." (Some surgery!)
Perhaps Americans should consider electing Homer Simpson to lead them. He's at least as intelligent as the current crop of "strategists" and he has a lot more dumb luck. Ralph Wiggum could be his deputy commander. D'oh!
"The Chinese and Russians must be laughing up their sleeves about having sanctioned this total fiasco and its various mission creep extensions."
They must laugh as we spend ourselves to death in the process while they spend more money developing their economies and natural resources. Those plucky Asians, especially, seem to have read Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' and believed it. They literally own us and haven't yet fired one shot. What collateral do we offer them when they call in our unpayable debts? Arable land for use in feeding a billion and a half Chinese? They have lots of coal burning power plants. We have lots of coal. Seems like a match made in national debt heaven. At least the Chinese know how to save the lives of coal miners.
"For all its much-vaunted, high-tech military prowess, the "world's only superpower" can't seem to ... "
even 'pacify' Baghdad, one city in Iraq, so far ... we aren't getting much bang for our spent on warfare buck ...
well..it ain't over till it's over -- so to say, until the USA once again finds itself going HOME - with tail in its behind, just like vietnam and NATIONALLY the poorer for it (except the warmongers who'll continue to pass on the bill to the ordinary americans for yet ANOTHER generation and more and tell them "we are at war,,,we are under threat" with americans continuing to SWALLOW IT all , hook, line and sinker as their LEGACY of COWARDLY , UNINTELLIGENT, self-obsessed DENIERS from their own parents on down to their next grandchildren).
but then - there WAS a remark by an old Indian (subcontinent) man to a "citizen of british Empire" who was looking down upon the "backward east" that was rightfully to be ruled by the "west" like victorian england:
"WE were here long before you were EVEN TRIBES in the West....we shall still be here , long after your Empires are NO MORE".
The poodle turns against its master. Good doggie.
Let us assume, for the sake of argument only, mind you, that the US really does want to usher Afghanistan into the wonderful world of Western democracy. In that case it would appear that we are rather in the position of the eager Boy Scout who, finding a little old lady standing by the curb, took her arm and started escorting her across the street. She hesitated. He, thinking her a bit infirm, grasped her more firmly for "support" and pulled. She pulled back. They began inching forward. She pulled. He pulled. He figured she was afraid and practically lifted her. She began to struggle and whack him with her cane. Finally, a bit exasperated, he said "Why are you whacking me? I'm only trying to help you across the street!" She said, "I don't WANT to go across the street! If you force me to, I'll just turn around and go back."
Perhaps if he had asked the little old lady first if SHE wanted help, our eager young lad could have saved himself a drubbing and the little old lady could have gone her OWN way .....
Well, maybe not quite. I don't think they give out merit badges for pretending to help drug dealers across the street while helping yourself to their stash.
I'm afraid neither the old lady nor the boy scout in this scenario are quite what they seem. In fact, the old lady may even be packin' heat. And the boy scout? His gang's high-altitude shotguns appear more deadly for the bystanders than anyone else.
Au contraire, sir/madam,
Merit badges are given out all the time in the form of large checks, contracts, and political appointments for taking other folks where they don't want to go ......
But my point was aimed at those who still naively believe in "our good intentions", though I guess that was rather silly given that those folks don't really want to know what's going on anyway, and wouldn't pause to reexamine their beliefs even if they did know ...
"President Karzai is not an adequate strategic partner,"
No suprise there!
I do however like to see him sporting those beautifully- woven, colorful robes. They are stunning!
Yes, I agree that he is one of the coolest-looking dudes in world politics, though I do wonder about his former Unocal and CIA ties.
"He can rail against the West all he likes - no one wants him to look like a foreign puppet. The trouble is, his erratic speeches are matched by erratic actions."
"We said we wanted a hypocrite. Didn't he read the job description?"
Right on, Karzai, turn against your masters and throw them out!
The US power elites are upset with the Afghan president because he won't act like the puppet they thought they bought for a "fair price" to be their political prostitute.
AD
Looks like this puppet may be growing more concerned about audience reaction than about his puppeteers. Or maybe he thinks that, if he tells the truth, the good fairy will turn him into a real boy. In the latter case, one wonders who his Gepetto might be.
Puppets who go off the farm, if you'll permit a horribly mixed metaphor, as the late Saddam Hussein found out, usually wind up dead. Beware whenever the USA shows up at the front door of your geostrategically located country and says, "Hi, I'm your new ally. Give me land for military bases. I'll pay you rent, and I'll protect you from harm." It usually ends badly for lots of 'collaterally damaged' innocents.
Great post, RV. I hope it's his Jimminy Cricket voice from within who is informing him.
Humans act according to how they inform their conscience. Fear-based thinking lies under layer upon layer upon layer of consciousness. That is why exploring to know ourselves is important, to face and overcome our fears.
When humans learn to base their thoughts, fearlessly, on principles of love, for self and other, then we could see a sea change on how we treat each other.
When someone courageously decides to stand for truth and face down down liars (ones who fear the truth), all of humanity is moved to a higher path.
All of us need to embrace each other with compassion yet keep our eyes on our highest common denominator, not our lowest one of pure selfishness.
The US has acted like the proverbial schoolyard bully, with insecure allies, who is really nothing but a terrified child who needs healing.
I doubt whether the voice of courage and conscience is much to be found in that neck of the woods. It's pretty much wall to wall bad guys wherever you look, which is why the outcome is a matter of indifference to most Afghan locals. However it does seem that we'll be needin' a replacement Duly Elected Leader of the Sovereign Democratic Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The one we got appears to be chafing at his leash.
vox 3:23 ------ Smacks of USA exceptionalism and racism.
No courage, people resisting Warlords, USA and Taliban?
Do you think you live in a less corrupt nation $13 trillion Bankster dollars later?
Do think your genocidal, slave owning Eroupean ( I assume) ancesters are superior to the progeny of Persians, Bactrians, Mongolians,Buddhists, Moghuls And Greeks?
You may have meant only leaders but their are many unbribable courageous leaders battling the invaders.
Gosh Glenn, didn't you know that America is exceptional in many ways to other countries. Were you buying the idea that our culture and society, science and medicine were worth no more than the Australian Aborigine's or a forgotten tribe in the Amazon? There are all sorts of exceptionalism are there not?
As to racism, "Do think your genocidal, slave owning Eroupean ( I assume) ancesters are superior to the progeny of Persians, Bactrians, Mongolians,Buddhists, Moghuls And Greeks?"
Is this not racism?
Oh don't misunderstand me. I include my country and my slave-owning ancestors and our own testosterone-addled soldiers in the wall-to-wall bad guys. As for courage, I guess I'd give the militant Taliban the highest marks for standing up to vastly superior firepower, not that that translates into any particular goodness. The Afghan people are about the same as you or I where courage is concerned. When the warlords are in town, compliance is the better part of valor unless you want your head used as a soccer ball. Same with the Taliban and the special forces. One of those power structures is going to prevail. If you were a Pashtun villager which one would you choose?
My point was that Karzai has not suddenly turned into an outspoken Afghan patriot or a paragon of courage by virtue of some testy remarks we (progressives) tend to agree with. I think he is still a self serving louse, though this might put him at odds with our imperial goals. Just another development in an evolving story of evil vs evil.
Mabe he doesn't want to share the drug profits from the plants on the family farms.
Nothing short of policy change reversing the belief in American Empire and a massive commitment to alternative energy will get the U.S. out of Afghanistan. The oil pipeline is why we are there. Blood for oil is too high a price to pay. Why send your family members to die for oil and wealth for the American oligarchs? The oligarchs are fighting the middle class. Why fight and die for them? Is the wealth of the oligarchs worth more than the lives of your family? Ignore the war and patriotic propaganda. Do not be so easily made a fool of.
This guy better not go for a ride in an airplane,
Hey, if it takes a little opium to put a backbone in Karzai, I'm all for it.
Give it to the man(US) Karzai. Don't let them rape and murder anymore of your innocent civilians for some Quixotic expedition.
Come on, Baby! Throw US out!
If Karzai wants to be a popular hero in Afghanistan, he should show US the door NOW. It would probably be good for the people there if he entered negotiations with the Taliban without US standing over him and it would be much better for US.
It would be a face-saving way to end this fiasco: "See? The elected government of Afghanistan is taking charge, we're no longer needed there".
Try to ignore the fact that the election was fraudulent, that the government is illegitimate, that there's a barely contained civil war just beneath the surface, just go with the story and split.
As far as the oil pipeline, don't worry, it'll get built.
Afghanistan has forever straddled the only reasonable trade route from East to West with very little resources of their own and few goods to trade, they have survived by collecting tolls on the traffic. Anyone can pass through if they are willing to pay the toll.
Problems come when people refuse to pay, when they figure they have the power to push through. It's a plan that at least four Empires have tried and failed, basically ending those Empires. (I say at least four because we don't know how many Eastern Empires also tried and failed).
But if the pipeline company factors in tolls and doesn't weasle out, the pipeline will be protected by the exact same forces that would, under the current program, be spending Their time and effort on destroying it. The pipeline becomes a source of revenue for the tribes along it's path.
There is no good plan for our involvement in Afghanistan. It was a side project of the Oil Boys, it's only real strategic value is that it's next to Iran, the other side from Iraq and in the PNAC mind, if you are aiming to take Iran, that's a pincer movement. Remember? "Anyone can go to Baghdad, real men go to Tehran"? The pipeline was frosting on that cake.
The Trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrst story was bogus (of course) al Qeada was our goons and the Taliban are leftovers from our war against Russia. The training camps were built with US dollars, That's why we knew exactly where they were and how deep into the mountains they were dug.
The Fourth Branch didn't want to invade Afghanistan. They had as much control over it as they needed, a chaotic non-government who were willing to take money, freedom to operate without scutiny... but they had no choice. They couldn't get US and Congress to go along with invading Iraq, which was their intention from before the (s)election, after all the froofraw over al Qeada. Nevermind that most of the 9?11 actors were Saudi and much of the plotting took place in Europe, Afghanistan took the blame and the punishment.
It's time to take Karzai at his word, cut the strings and see if he still dances. He might. He's Pashtun, the majority ethnos, same as most of the Taliban, without US he may form an alliance with them and bring a measure of stability, I dare say, peace, to the region.
"Anyone can pass through if they are willing to pay the toll."
But that's the fly in the ointment. USA Incorporated only pays lip service to "free market" economics. Leaving any potential for real competition just isn't any part of the actual geostrategic game plan -- nor the domestic game plan, for that matter.
Only problem is that establishing and maintaining exclusive control over the "trade route" doesn't seem to have become any easier since other imperial powers tried it in the past. In fact, the more far-flung the empire, the more difficult the logistics, especially when the primary concerns are more proximate competitors who have quite willingly sanctioned the "invasion of the quagmire" in the first place.
so how does that slot the afghans in the "You're either with us or you're against us" Doctrine?
"The US controls the place by day but the Taliban control it by night. What is the point? If you help the government, you will be murdered."
This is Deja Vu all over again.
Anyone in the administration read the history of Vietnam?
Impeach and remove from office Mr. Obama and Biden.
And leave the office empty, this time.
Jill
Consider that if you do one bad thing, does that mean everything you do is bad?
Don't forget other countries that are raining death and maiming down on the earth.
Sometimes we forget that things are happening all over the globe and they don't get the headlines our larger scale does at times.
At least we don't allow slavery anymore. I'd say those countries are worse, wouldn't you?
I've seen this picture before. September 23, 1876 thousand of Lakota confronted a US Commission trying to broker a deal to obtain the Black Hills. The Commission was shouted down by the Lakota. As we all know, it did not turn out very well for the Lakota. Nine months later it did not turn out very well for General Custer and 252 soldiers of the US 7th Cavalry Regiment. Watch out General.
sixkilo
Unfortunately for the Lakota, it didn't go to well for them after Custer. Watch out Chief.
1875
"The US controls the place by day but the Taliban control it by night. What is the point? If you help the government, you will be murdered."
At least if Afghans boot out the US, they will have one less "enemy" to fear. They are used to dealing with the Taliban. Leave these people to self-govern.
Eikenberry was right. Karzi is not a reliable partner. But in the eyes of the Afghan people we are occupiers not liberators. Time to get out.
while it is true - or MAY be true -- that Karzai is "not a reliable partner" -- that is merely from the standpoint of the
MOST UNRELIABLE one of all - the United States.
how many times has the USA propped up tyrants, dictators and other leaders that were oppressive , or at the very least , exploitative of their people, and sold out for convenience to BOTH themselves and teh USA and the USA used them precisely because they were - as John Perkins, Former CIA "economic hitman" put it:
"cooperative to our will and the will of our chamber of commerce..." ...and "our Empire project"...and as soon as they hedged their bets - as ANY national of sovereign countries would, no less than the USA's own would,
the USA DROPS them like hot potato...and even connives to Replace them with YET ANOTHER puppet that the USA thinks it can pull the strings without further conditions?
Gorbachev practically earned the IRE of his fellow russians when he UNILATERALLY allowed the Warsaw Pact to dissolve in the belief - from Reagan - that as a tit-for-tat - "NATO" was NEVER to threaten russia or make any moves to threaten Russia's sense of sovereignty?
WHAT DID the USA DO? why -- it egged NATO ON to expand eastward - today , right at Russia's very borders! what ELSE did the USA do? egg on the literal RAPE of Russia's resources using the "privatizer" billionaires friendly to the washington consensus - to divvy up Russia's national treasures and caused the FURTHER collapse of Russia in the 1990's - literally kicking someone in the face when they're down.
Most notoriously - SADDAM HUSSEIN - the USA's VERY OWN proxy against Iran in the 1980's - ....
which is YET another instance of being "unreliable" USA regarding IRAN - after having used the SHAH for over 2 decades to suppress the Iranians in order to serve US interests.
i mean - let's be real here:
"UNRELIABILITY" is thrown around by US officials and punditry about folks elsewhere -- when in fact the USA has the longest , broadest, most prolonged history of UNRELIABILITY and UNTRUSTWORTHINESS in its dealings with the peoples and leaders of other countries.
if any SINGLE country or leader could be noted as "unreliable" BY a US politician --
there are FIVE MORE instances with FIVE different countries that USA can be cited for BEING the unreliable ONE.
where "reliability and trustworthiness" is concerned....whether it's in the field of "economic model" or "political model" , or "liberty and justice" and "democracy"...and "rule of law"....
"rules of engagement"..or "peace", or "environmental responsibility".....or "accountability" ....or "weapons non-proliferation" .... or "currency honesty"...or "trade fairness", or "health care"....etc....
the USA TALKS THE BIG TALK - but can't walk the WALK!
Karzai just figured out who his friends are and his best shot at staying alive when the US presence in Afghanistan collapses. Nothing personal, just business...
Actually - Karzai just reminded himself -- HE IS AFGHAN -- not some FAKE AMERICAN "made to order darling of US politics and empire".
he wants to LIVE and Survive and LEAD in HIS country- among AFGHANS? the question is so simple and so readily answered:
BE an AFGHAN. NOT some american empire boy-toy!
Bowing to "Popular demand"? Come on since when did the leader of an allegedly DEMOCRATIC state care what the people of their country wanted?
It's interesting to read this and the Margolis piece while reminding onself about the content and problems discussed in the recent McCoy essay, http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/03/31-0 Then there are the numerous insights into the complicated AfPak/India political matrix written and published over the years by AsiaTimesOnLine plus Ahmed Rashid's excellent books on the Taliban which combine to provide the fundamental Prior Knowledge required to actually understand the dimensions of the US wars on Afghanistan and Pakistan. The last quote was very telling; it seems Karzai is no longer willing to preside over his native country's destruction--the US Empire's "strategic" goal--and now seeks to be an "insurgent" puppet--what would once be called a Double Agent, one turned against his handlers.
His differences from Diem are stark. Most prominent is he seeks negotiation with the various Others that are indigenous to Afghanistan, whereas Diem wanted them smashed as did his US handlers. Globally, there are probably Billions rooting on Karzai, leaving only a minority of English speakers supporting Obama's Empire. To get the US and NATO to leave, Karzai must get the UNSC's approval for their invasion and occupation recinded. I look for him to go public with such a demand very soon.
GwNorth
Hey GW, not every government is like Obama and the democrats!
I see no reason to trust Karzai's apparent animosity toward his U.S. handlers. It smells false to me, especially considering the latest news concerning possible U.S. involvement in the Mumbai attacks, for which an American agent is being held incommunicado by U.S. authorities, and his testimony to be classified. That U.S./India relations, as they concern Pakistan and Afghanistan, are headed for potential disaster would seem to me somehow related to whatever press Karzai is currently seeking, and getting. Once CIA, ALWAYS CIA. Karzai is not stupid enough to go the way of Saddam, and the fact that the Karzai, the Taliban, as well as so-called 'Al Qaeda', are creations of the CIA/ISI should not go unnoticed. All I see is more deception, spoon fed to us by our corporate media.
I think Karzai's anger is quite real.
As mentioned, he has been in ongoing negotiations with the Taliban under the auspices of the Saudis ... His willingness to do THAT is an enormous step forward for the future of Afghanistan. In reasponse, the United States has obstructed and denigrated him, slander, libel, endlessly, incessantly.
Imagine if the Taliban/Afghan killing stopped ... our military job would then be done (except for security wrt to all those warlords, bandits and other criminals) ... gosh, reconstruction might stop being the proxy target in the power struggle between occupier and occupied.
If the killing stopped the U.S. would have to invent another reason to remain. Karzai's roots are all too apparent. He's part of the CIA and the oil club. He's full of shit, and so is every bit of propaganda surrounding him.
The TAPI Pipeline will be completed regardless of what this mendacious puppet Karzai or the American people say.
Who'll stop them?
Remember, the Taliban (who had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11) are evil people, and we must fight them over there (over here, over there, the Yanks are coming the Yanks are coming) so we don't have to fight them here, in America. Got it? Good!
Remember, you are with them, or you are with the . . .
Now it is time to go and watch that foul mouthed Tiger Woods and the Masters, which seems to be much more important to the American people, than what's happening to our country and World.
Eikenberry: "President Karzai is not an adequate strategic partner..."
And so he would replace Karzai with whom? And by what mechanism?
During Viet Nam, Ngo Dinh Diem was not "an adequate strategic partner" and so we had him assassinated. A lot of good that did! The war lasted another decade and WE LOST. (Can't let that happen again, can we now...)
The man is not the problem. The problem is the occupation. Certainly Karzai didn't sign on expecting this sort of quagmire. Probably, he'd resign if he could but for the tentacles of corruption that include his extended family.
One wonders who his bodyguards take orders from.
Whether Karzai survives or not, this cannot end well, if it ends at all.
-30-
No one seems to notice, that this is a subtle propaganda piece FOR the surge. The hand picked "quotes" from the locals, that suggest, that if only NATO (US bloody surge) could be successful, they would support it. The mention of "Marjah" is the big red flag...
"Look what happened in Marjah," said one local government official in Kandahar, referring to the last US offensive launched in February in central Helmand province.
"The US controls the place by day but the Taliban control it by night. What is the point? If you help the government, you will be murdered."
At a popular coffee shop in the city centre, Khaled, a medical student from Kabul, said the influence of the Taliban was creeping back into the area.
"A Nato offensive here will not help," he added.
"We know what they do. They arrive in great numbers and provide security for two weeks and then they go and the insecurity returns."
..........
So, the article in total, argues FOR the surge, which equates to bloody propaganda.
good point.
it also seems to escape Eikenberry - the US diplomat - saying that Karzai is not "reliable".....
that the USA UNRELIABLY DROPPED AFGHANISTAN to wallow in Chaos AFTER THE CIA messed it up after using Afghanistan as a lynchpin against Russia in the 1980.s
the afghans DO NOT forget that.
No, I noticed that it enumerates every single anti-Karzai talking point ... and fails ask or answer what course the good people Khandahar would like to see.
Very few seem to have noticed that we are repeating our mistakes in Iraq ... and that we have already failed to perform as promised in Majra.
They talk about the "inkblot" -- clear, hold and build -- method but we remain unwilling to actually stick around for the holding and building -- to give security and keeping our bargain with those willing to risk working with us. [I never approved of our invading Afghanistan but, having wrecked our "revenge" on these people, I don't begrudge their need for assistance and our obligation to help them rebuild.]
The irony, as far as I can forsee, is that IF we actually stick around to "hold and build" we will represent a far greater occupation force than has likely been seen anywhere in Afghanistan and THAT will feed anti-occupation sentiments and -- our increased presence -- a complement of increased American casualties.
I've been stunned by the lack of mention of what our NATO coalition partners think about any of this. They've been nationbuilding from the beginning and might know something about what works, no? I have no idea what "the Taliban" now means almost a decade later, but I assume they have evolved with time and would have done so anyway with the usual prodding, carrots and sticks, and some evolving stability. I'm not sure there was EVER a reason to invade and topple. We intended to "wipe the slate clean" and now find the Taliban resurgent. But of course.
The United States is not interested in "peace" -- We seem dedicated to the utter and complete submission of the population by military force. The McCrystal era goal to create a network of governance radiating out from the capital will almost doubtless be perceived as greater and more intrusive occupation by any other name.
Apparently we're too stubborn and corrupted to consider any alternative to armed hostilities. I'm hoping that NATO and Karzai and the good people of Afghanistan can convince us that there is another way.
A white-bearded frail man stood up, leaning on a walking stick, and said: "The other day people came with guns and told me to shut my shop and go to my house. I phoned the police. They said, ‘It's none of our business and we don't care'."
Here, in miniature, is the source of the inevitable American defeat in Afghanistan.