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| Afghanistan |
| Foreigners Behind Afghanistan's Instability: Karzai |
| 2013-03-08 |
[TOLONEWS] President Hamid Maybe I'll join the TalibanKarzai ... 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 Pashtunface 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... Wednesday accused outside forces of causing instability in Afghanistan, warning foreign interests against using the country as an "experiment". Addressing Parliament as its reconvened after the winter break, Karzai said there are some foreign hands that are trying to ensure Afghanistan shouldn't have a proper government and that it is a country divided between the people. He told the MPs that Afghanistan is not a lab for others to experiment with political systems and suggested the country would be fine without foreign financial assistance. "We have $6 billion in our reserves and enough for us to enjoy for 18 months even if we don't get a penny from the world," he said. In the same vein, Karzai suggested that the prospect of foreign forces remaining in Afghanistan after 2014 is not a done deal. "The NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... secretary general told me that some countries are willing to stay post 2014. I told him that they should individually sign agreements with us," he said. He spoke of his disappointment over the reports of abuse of Afghans at the hands of Afghan cops and pointed out it was harder for him to criticise the foreign forces on such matters when Afghans are doing it themselves. "How can I complain against international forces when Afghan National Security Forces violate the people's rights?" "It's not forgivable... Our Afghan people are not safe in their houses," he said. "Why should I blame foreigners?" On the topic of the upcoming presidential election, Karzai flagged its importance to his own legacy, saying he wanted it to go smoothly as possible. "I would have a better legacy if the election is a smooth process. I don't want people to judge me as troublemaker," he said. "The election must happen -- free and fair. I will be an ex-president in 13 months." He criticised foreign non-government organizations who made the last presidential election "more expensive" and warned that it would not be allowed to happen again. "Our election should not be an income source for some foreign NGOs," he said. Karzai called on the Afghan Taliban to be part of the political solution for Afghanistan. "O Taliban, come and let's save our country!" He said, adding that he did not mind which political groups dealt with the Taliban as long as the High Peace Council led the grinding of the peace processor. "Meet with the Taliban. I am fine. But let the peace council take care of the foreign aspect of the peace talks," he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 I keep seeing Fred's annotation about the restaurant in Baltimore but isn't it Hamid's brother that is the restaurateur? |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2013-03-08 16:29 |
| #2 The problem with Afghanistan is that the locals think he is talkinga about the US, UK, Spaniards, French, Swedes, and Italians. When actually he is right the foreigners causing all of the problems. But the foreigners are Paks, Banglas, Iranians, Saudis, Etcs., of course there are a few UK and US foreigners causing problems but they wear towels around their heads instead of patrolling caps or Kevlar. |
| Posted by: Bill Clinton 2013-03-08 12:34 |
| #1 suggested the country would be fine without foreign financial assistance. until he pilfers the reserves on his way out the door |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-03-08 10:13 |