The Clown Prince of Afghanistan

Last May, I posted this entry http://burkslaw.blogspot.com/2009/05/from-kabul-to-lax.html

How wise he was. How prescient.

He never once mentioned Hamid Karzai as being the solution.

As I listen now to what he was saying, it was about the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Not the "leaders".

In the past few days, we've heard from President Karzai.

He's like a Kennedy or a Bush. His family has been in power and politics in Afghanistan forever.

Two senior Afghan officials were showing President Hamid Karzai the evidence of a spectacular rocket attack on a nationwide peace conference earlier this month when Mr. Karzai told them that he believed the Taliban were not responsible.

“The president did not show any interest in the evidence — none — he treated it like a piece of dirt,” said Amrullah Saleh, then the director of the Afghan intelligence service.

Mr. Saleh declined to discuss Mr. Karzai’s reasoning in more detail. But a prominent Afghan with knowledge of the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Mr. Karzai suggested in the meeting that it might have been the Americans who carried it out.

Mr. Saleh immediately resigned as head of intelligence. As did the interior minister, Hanif Atmar.

Hmmmm. Wonder who's zooming who.

Corruption in Afghanistan, lying in Afghanistan, manipulating in Afghanistan is like Louisiana politics on crack-powered steroids.

It's what they do. And how they survive.

Which makes it so hard to believe anybody.

And a week ago, President Karzai says he doubts the NATO forces can defeat the Taliban.

Hmmmm. Who are you rooting for, Hamid?

During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Karzai was a supporter of the Taliban. He knows those folks well. They were fighting his war for him.

Then when the Taliban decided to take over the country, he became their enemy.

Recently, he's been sidling up to them again.

And wow, it's just been discovered that there is $1 trillion in minerals in the ground in Afghanistan.

Guess who controls that ground?

Nope, not Hamid.

His buds in the Taliban do.

And so, ole Hamid is dancing the dance. He needs the West (read the United States) to keep him alive whilst the Taliban try to kill him whilst he tries to cut a deal with them.

And in the meantime, Pakistan believes these lands belong to them. Which is why they have supported the Taliban. And now they see booty.

Wonder what the old Soviet Generals are thinking. Wonder what Putin is thinking.

Probably not focused on the health and well-being of U.S. and NATO soldiers.

Probably wishing they had done a better job years ago. So this trillion dollar find would be theirs.

The only reason for the U.S. to be in Afghanistan is to prevent terrorist acts against the U.S.

We are not at war with Afghanistan. Just as we were never at war with Iraq.

Maybe its time we change our thought pattern.

There will always be terrorists.

The job of the United States government is to protect its citizens.

Perhaps we should focus more on protecting our borders and dealing with those terrorists already here and those trying to enter.

Let those barbarians fight over that ground in Pashtun.

Including that slickster with the shaved head, clipped beard, fancy suits and funny hat.

Mr. Karzai, think it's time you and Mullah Omar figure it out on your own.

In the meantime, we'll be fortifying against your type.