Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Fri 04/26/2024 View Thu 04/25/2024 View Wed 04/24/2024 View Tue 04/23/2024 View Mon 04/22/2024 View Sun 04/21/2024 View Sat 04/20/2024
2014-03-16 Afghanistan
Karzai Speaks to Parliament About Elections, Taliban and BSA
[Tolo News] At the start of the fourth session of Parliament on Saturday, President Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai
... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use...
delivered a broad-sweeping speech that touched on foreign interfernce in the upcoming elections, relations with Pakistain and the Taliban as well as security pact negotiations with the United States.

With only weeks before the presidential vote on April 5, Karzai's time in office is near over and Saturday's speech could mark one of his final public addresses focused on policy issues.

"I warn you: don't try to interfere in our elections - it's in your interests," Karzai said as if speaking directly to the foreign powers he had in mind.

In attendance at the gathering were government officials, MPs, presidential candidates and Adib Fahim, the son of recently deceased First Vice President Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim.

The Afghanistan's Caped President assured the crowd that there would be free and fair elections and said that the security forces were entirely ready to ensure the safety and integrity of the process.

"The government will use all its power to ensure the coming presidential and provincial council elections are free, fair and transparent," Karzai said. "The Afghan national security forces will provide a secure environment for Afghans to take part in the process."

He assured that the "electoral bodies are independent and free of government influence."

Some have accused Karzai of meddling in the election process and favoring certain candidates, especially after his brother Qayoum Karzai folded his presidential campaign in favor of competitor Zalmai Rassoul
... former foreign minister and a very close confidant of Hamid Karzai. Before serving as foreign minister Rassoul also spent seven years laboring as a national security adviser to the president. An ethnic Pashtun born in Kabul, Rassoul was the valedictorian of his class at the illustrious Franco-American school in Kabul, Lycee Istiqal. He has an MD from the Paris Medical School in France.....
two weeks ago.
Posted by Fred 2014-03-16 00:00|| || Front Page|| [6 views ]  Top

#1 well....bye
Posted by Frank G 2014-03-16 09:00||   2014-03-16 09:00|| Front Page Top

#2 Thanks for all the Cordite.
Posted by Shipman 2014-03-16 12:23||   2014-03-16 12:23|| Front Page Top

#3 Just make sure he gets tossed off the last chopper out. From about 5000 feet...
Posted by tu3031 2014-03-16 12:28||   2014-03-16 12:28|| Front Page Top

#4  Just make sure he gets tossed off never gets on the last chopper out.

FIFY, TU
Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2014-03-16 14:35||   2014-03-16 14:35|| Front Page Top

#5 Don't interfere in Afghan elections. They can cheat enough all by themselves.
Posted by Abu Uluque 2014-03-16 15:36||   2014-03-16 15:36|| Front Page Top

#6 Don't forget the red/green wire problem.
Posted by AlanC 2014-03-16 15:52||   2014-03-16 15:52|| Front Page Top

07:27 Dale
07:21 Grom the Reflective
07:13 M. Murcek
07:10 Dale
07:07 Grom the Reflective
07:02 Frank G
06:57 Whiskey Mike
06:52 Whiskey Mike
06:51 MikeKozlowski
06:50 Ulailet+Thud3602
06:49 Whiskey Mike
06:45 Whiskey Mike
06:43 MikeKozlowski
06:16 Grom the Reflective
05:58 Besoeker
05:48 Procopius2k
05:40 Procopius2k
05:36 Procopius2k
05:27 Besoeker
05:26 Bobby
05:16 Besoeker
05:12 Besoeker
05:04 Bobby
05:02 Grom the Reflective









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com