by Julian Borger in Brussels and Ewen MacAskill in Washington
The US and its European allies are preparing to plant a high-profile figure in the heart of the Kabul government in a direct challenge to the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, the Guardian has learned.
The creation of a new chief executive or prime ministerial role is aimed at bypassing Karzai. In a further dilution of his power, it is proposed that money be diverted from the Kabul government to the provinces. Many US and European officials have become disillusioned with the extent of the corruption and incompetence in the Karzai government, but most now believe there are no credible alternatives, and predict the Afghan president will win re-election in August.
Read on...
Remember all that talk by our Prime Minister Harper about how democracy was being restored in Ahghanistan.? Remember how Karzai attended Bush's "State of the Union Address"? Karzai sat with Laura Bush forchrissakes. Remember how Karzai addressed a joint session of Congress and virtually campaigned for Bush's re-election.? Remember all those purple fingers? And all the schools and water filtration plants the West was supposedly building? Remember how women were being emancipated in Afghanistan.? Remember how NATO's mission in Afghanistan was crucial to Canada's security.?
Fergeddaboutit. All that was simply bullshit. Karzai never had any popular support. He was a former CIA retainee ferchrissakes. Needed a brigade of Blackwater mercenaries to just keep him alive in Kabul. So remember readers: when Harper or Bush/Obama tell you anything about Afghanistan, they are lying. Peacenik says bring the troops home now.
The creation of a new chief executive or prime ministerial role is aimed at bypassing Karzai. In a further dilution of his power, it is proposed that money be diverted from the Kabul government to the provinces. Many US and European officials have become disillusioned with the extent of the corruption and incompetence in the Karzai government, but most now believe there are no credible alternatives, and predict the Afghan president will win re-election in August.
Read on...
Remember all that talk by our Prime Minister Harper about how democracy was being restored in Ahghanistan.? Remember how Karzai attended Bush's "State of the Union Address"? Karzai sat with Laura Bush forchrissakes. Remember how Karzai addressed a joint session of Congress and virtually campaigned for Bush's re-election.? Remember all those purple fingers? And all the schools and water filtration plants the West was supposedly building? Remember how women were being emancipated in Afghanistan.? Remember how NATO's mission in Afghanistan was crucial to Canada's security.?
Fergeddaboutit. All that was simply bullshit. Karzai never had any popular support. He was a former CIA retainee ferchrissakes. Needed a brigade of Blackwater mercenaries to just keep him alive in Kabul. So remember readers: when Harper or Bush/Obama tell you anything about Afghanistan, they are lying. Peacenik says bring the troops home now.
