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The Delegitimization of Karzai
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by snuffysmith | November 3, 2009 at 12:39 pm
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November 3, 2009
A Long-Term Disaster for Obama and the US
The Delegitimization of Karzai
By PATRICK COCKBURN
The election in Afghanistan has turned into a disaster for all who promoted it. Hamid Karzai has been declared re-elected as president of the country for the next five years though his allies inside and outside Afghanistan know that he owes his success to open fraud. Instead of increasing his government’s legitimacy, the poll has further de-legitimized it.
Cockburn is not terribly sanguine about how Karzai and his arch rival are going to co-exist in a supposed unity government. He notes:
"The US and its allies may now push for a national unity government between Mr Karzai and Mr Abdullah, his main rival for the presidency. This might look good on paper, or at least better than the alternative of Mr Karzai ruling alone. But enforced unity between men who detest each other will institutionalize divisions. Its value will largely be in terms of propaganda for external consumption. ""
While President Obama as a candidate was correct to point out the Bush failures in taking the US eye off the ball in Afghanistan, Cockburn currectly discerns that Obama is discovering that "Afghanistan is the biggest foreign policy problem facing the US. It is a more dangerous place for the US and its allies than Iraq ever was."
He opines: " Washington and London should really wonder after Afghanistan’s farcical election if their political and military investment in the country is worth it. Their policy of propping up and strengthening the central government looks more ludicrous than before."
This article is well worth the read.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (9)
at 12:49 on November 3rd, 2009
snuffysmith, could you add more of your own commentary and 'take' to this piece? On NP, we like the highlighted excerpts to be accompanied by members' own opinion on what makes the story important and interesting to them. Thanks.
at 13:09 on November 3rd, 2009
Thank you for your comment. I have added a few more excerpts from the piece.
at 13:19 on November 3rd, 2009
Thanks for that.
Just to note that all of the quoted excerpts have to go in highlight (inside the grey quotes). Only your own commentary should be outside the quotes, in black. At the moment, you see, it looks like everything in the bottom half of the post is your own commentary, when in fact, some of it comes from the counterpunch site.
But you're along the right lines with combining commentary with quoted excerpts.
(I have to go offline now but I shall be back tomorrow morning if you have further questions.)
- reply
Michele Kearney (not verified)at 21:39 on November 3rd, 2009
I haven't yet figured out how to add selected quotes with the highlight tool after the original quote has been posted - maybe I should just highlight the article and then make deletions.The other problem I had this week is that I have been without telephone landline and DSL access with Verizon because of a fualty FIOS installation they did next door to my house. This weekend I will be up in New York working from my laptop. You can reach me by emailat least I think you can. Given this week's problems with Verizon, not too sure.Best regardsSnuffysmithSnuffysmith
at 12:58 on November 3rd, 2009
DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Afghanistan as a bailout state
In Washington's terms, the disaster unfolding daily in Afghanistan is not the definition of failure. In economic lingo, it now falls into the category of "too big to fail", which means upping the ante; America's leaders always opt for more in counter-insurgency disasters rather than cutting their losses. - Tom Engelhardt
at 13:00 on November 3rd, 2009
Fighting the 'good' war
Afghanistan is not Washington's "good war", though it is now characterized in that fashion not only by the Republican right wing but by President Barack Obama and many Democrats who were critical of the "Bush" Iraq war. - Jack A Smith (Nov 3, '09)
at 13:18 on November 3rd, 2009
The polling booths are finally closed
The Independent Election Commission in Afghanistan has vigorously defended its decision to hand President Hamid Karzai a second five-year term following the withdrawal of his challenger, Abdullah Abdullah. At the same time, the commission makes it clear the matter is not up for debate - it's time to move on, like it or not. - Derek Henry Flood
at 13:42 on November 3rd, 2009
Karzai's Fraud Will Plague Obamafrom RealClearWorld Matthias Gebauer, Der Spiegel
With the withdrawal of his sole challenger, Hamid Karzai has now won a second term as president of Afghanistan. But for the West, working together with the Afghan government will only get harder. US President Barack Obama will have to explain why he wants to support an undemocratically elected leader by sending more troops.
at 13:54 on November 3rd, 2009
Afghans Will Pay Price for Karzaifrom RealClearWorld Peter Galbraith, The Guardian
Afghanistan's presidential election is over, and it was a fiasco. The decision by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to cancel the second round and declare the incumbent, Hamid Karzai, the victor concludes a process that undermined Afghanistan"s nascent democracy. In the US and Europe, the fraud-tainted elections halted the momentum for President Obama's new Afghanistan strategy and undercut support for sending more troops.