Afghanistan: President Karzai, his government, our strategy
Posted by Sonj under Afghanistan | Permalink |
New York Times Editorial, A Test for President Karzai: “Whom Mr. Karzai chooses for his new cabinet will be the first indicator, after his fraud-marred election, of whether he is truly determined to rein in epidemic levels of corruption and incompetence. His speech on Tuesday to an anti-corruption conference in Kabul suggested, ominously, that he still does not get it.” Full Article
Trudy Rubin interviews General McChrystal as published in the Winnepeg Free Press:
But how can we rely on an Afghan government riddled with corruption?
McChrystal’s answer, which is key to the U.S. strategy: “Absolutely we need a credible partner. But we can leverage the good people at the local level simultaneously to working with the centre.” That means working with effective cabinet ministers, such as those at defence, interior, rural development and agriculture, and bolstering their staff in Kabul and at provincial and district level. It also means funnelling more aid through competent provincial governors and district heads, and pressing President Hamid Karzai to increase their numbers. Full Article
Robert Maier of Kabul Press: “Thirty minutes ago, I instructed Gen. McChrystal to arrest President Hamid Karzai…” The speech Obama should give… Full Article
Matthew Green of the Financial Times London writes: “Last month, Mr Brown describing Afghanistan as a “byword” for corruption, and said the Afghan leader must do more to tackle graft after he was declared the winner of elections tainted by huge fraud.” Green writes of Brown’s trip to Afghanistan to try to mend relations with Hamid Karzai while not backing down from demands of stronger efforts from the Afghan government. Full Story
A bio of Mr. Karzai from the Afghan government website: A Brief Biography of President Hamid Karzai
