University students play with a burning effigy of the President Barack Obama during a demonstration in front of the Afghan Parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009. Hundreds of Afghans shouted anti-US, NATO and Afghan government slogans and burned effigy of the President Barack Obama
Karzai questions US reliability as partner
The Age
Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai questioned the reliability of the United States as a partner Sunday, as he fought off criticism of his government’s legitimacy following fraud-marred elections.
Karzai’s main challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, warned in an interview with CNN that the US strategy will not succeed without a credible partner in Kabul, blaming Karzai for deteriorating conditions.
But underscoring the political headache that Washington faces if Karzai wins a run-off against Abdullah next month, Karzai pointed the finger at the United States in a separate, pre-recorded CNN interview.
“Is the United States a reliable partner with Afghanistan? Is the West a reliable partner with Afghanistan?” Karzai asked. “Have we received the commitments that we were given? Have we been treated like a partner?”
Karzai said a partnership to him was “where the Afghan lives are respected, where Afghan property is respected, where the Afghan traditions are respected, where we know the direction we are moving to.”
The comments appeared to allude to Karzai’s longstanding criticism of civilian deaths in US air strikes, and to President Barack Obama’s still unresolved review of US strategy and his commander’s request for up to 40,000 more US troops.
Abdullah said more troops were needed to stabilize the country. But he said that after eight years of war, Afghanistan should have been in position to ask for fewer troops, not more.
“We are not there. Why? Because of the failures of the current administration in Afghanistan,” he told CNN.
“Any success for the US strategy in Afghanistan will depend on the credibility of your partner, on the legitimacy of your partner,” he added.
Wild Thing’s comment…….
LOL I could care less if those students want to use their time burning effigy’s of Obama. Go for it! Hahaha
Regarding Karzai questioning OBAMA’S reliability we know the answer to that one. Obama is all about Obama and has already made it very clear that VICTORY in war is not important to him.
Just one other thing….note to Karzai…….. after 9-11 we did not go into your cave dwelling land of sand to do anything BUT go after the terrorists. So let’s get that straight. If you don’t want to better your country, roads, hospitals, schools, you name it then tell us to get the hell out. All the lives of your people do not equal even ONE of our troops.
Gee, do ya think Karzai smells a rat ? As a matter of fact when is the White House going to come up with a Foreign Policy, do they even know they are suppose to have one ? Aside from apologizing for American obama’s done absolutely nothing in that department. Obviously, they are still looking for a “moderate” Tollyban, guess they haven’t found one yet.
Are we in deep weeds or what?
I don’t know what to do about Afghanistan. I’m afraid obama is going to piddle around LBJ style and we may lose troops for nothing. A’stan is important strategically. This becomes unimportant to a president who is trying to reduce American influence throughout the world.
Perhaps Karzai and obama are cut from the same cloth. Two crookswho only care about their own rewards and realms.
Screw the students (sic) I’d like to see them actually burn yo momma boma.
Mark, good one.
“Obviously, they are still looking for a “moderate” Tollyban, guess they haven’t found one yet.”
Tom, yes I think so too, Karzai and obama
are very similar.