Karzai to lawmakers: ‘I might join the Taliban’

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

KABUL - Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened over the weekend to quit the political process and join the Taliban if he continued to come under outside pressure to reform, several members of parliament said Monday.

...

"He said that 'if I come under foreign pressure, I might join the Taliban'," said Farooq Marenai, who represents the eastern province of Nangarhar.

"He said rebelling would change to resistance," Marenai said — apparently suggesting that the militant movement would then be redefined as one of resistance against a foreign occupation rather than a rebellion against an elected government.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36178710/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

[scandal 951]

Karzai is pathetic. A corrupt kleptomaniac that has the nerve to bite the hand that feeds him.

As a taxpayer, I demand that our puppet dictators return better value for the money we spend on them.

[alienlovechild 75]

Karzai is pathetic. A corrupt kleptomaniac that has the nerve to bite the hand that feeds him.

As a taxpayer, I demand that our puppet dictators return better value for the money we spend on them.

Karzai won re-election under Obama's watch and I find hard to believe we are backing a government with lives and money on our "war of necessity". Didn't anyone think widespread voter fraud was a possibility and doesn't it undermine our cause somewhat?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

** 'em. Start pulling our troops out. It's a lost cause.

[scandal 951]

Karzai won re-election under Obama's watch and I find hard to believe we are backing a government with lives and money on our "war of necessity". Didn't anyone think widespread voter fraud was a possibility and doesn't it undermine our cause somewhat?

Karzai won his initial election in 2004 during Bush's watch, and with strong backing from the Bush administration. So if you're somehow trying to pull a guilt by association maneuver on Obama, beware where the taint leads.

Besides, by 2009 he had fallen sufficiently out of favor that it was pretty openly known that the US (under Obama at this time) preferred to see Abdullah Abdullah win.

Yes, we are backing his government, corrupt and aggravating as it is, because it's the only game in town.

The US cause is still best served by a hearts&minds campaign to turn Afghanistan into a stable friendly.

You are right, that cause is significantly undermined by the actions of the Karzai government. Realpolitik isn't always pretty. It wasn't pretty during the "detente" days with the Russians, it's not pretty with the 'democratically elected' Hamas government in Gaza. You do what you gotta do.

** 'em. Start pulling our troops out. It's a lost cause.

I disagree. The 9/11 bastards were based there. They're still there, and in Pakistan and throughout the region. They have long memories and patient long-term plans. We do too.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I disagree. The 9/11 bastards were based there. They're still there, and in Pakistan and throughout the region. They have long memories and patient long-term plans. We do too.

I honestly haven't been paying close attention on the latest developments in that region, but from what I've read, keeping our troops there is futile. They aren't over there trying to smoke out the 9/11 bastads. They are there trying to keep warring factions from making the government dysfunctional...and they don't have to try that hard.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Galt's gallstones

[alienlovechild 75]

Karzai won his initial election in 2004 during Bush's watch, and with strong backing from the Bush administration. So if you're somehow trying to pull a guilt by association maneuver on Obama, beware where the taint leads.

Yes, we are backing his government, corrupt and aggravating as it is, because it's the only game in town. The US cause is still best served by a hearts&minds campaign to turn Afghanistan into a stable friendly. You are right, that cause is significantly undermined by the actions of the Karzai government.

Are you saying Karzai won by widespread fraud in 2004? All I'm saying is if Obama wanted to make Afghanistan his primary battlefield, they really were blindsided on the diplomatic front. Remember South Vietnam's government was widely seen as corrupt and undemocratic so we aren't winning hearts or minds this time either. Of course we've backed less than democratic governments that eventually became more democratic once they were stable ex. South Korea or most of Latin America. The counter examples are to just dump em like we did with Batista or the Shah and lose all our influence for decades.

Gen. McCrystal is trying to secure the key southern provinces which have the roads and access to water so he doesn't need to tackle the entire country. My worry is the deadline to start a withdrawal is too short for this surge as Afghanistan isn't as centralized as Iraq.