whatever will shut us up, but he feels he has to talk tough about NATO to maintain very shaky support at home. He lacks support at home because he stole the election.
What he says about us is only as relevant as we allow it to be. We can do most of what we need to do there by working through the local elders, and ignore Karzai.
He can be the Mayor of Kabul. I just want Bin Laden.
"“If you and the international community pressure me more, I swear that I am going to join the Taliban,” Mr. Karzai said, according to the Parliament member. A spokesman for Mr. Karzai, Waheed Omar, could not be reached for comment on Sunday."
- News Analysis - Karzai Steps Up Attacks on NATO, Leaving West in a Box - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)
This is why I thought we should get out of Afghanistan not send in more troops. You cannot impose a 21st century democracy on a feudal society. They lack the social evolution necessary to function. And, short of utter military defeat and occupation (think post WW II Japan) you can't speed that process up.
ReplyDeleteFortunatly, I don't think this administration shares the utopian pretensions of the Bush administration. I'd cite the withdrawl from the Korengal Valley as evidence, as well as the establishment of a tentative deadline for the removal of our troop.
ReplyDeleteThe key to this will be the potential Pakistani offensive in North Waziristan. If they go through with it, the insurgency is suddenly in a lot of trouble (they're in trouble now, of course).
I'm very discouraged by the results in Marja. As a test of McChrytal's tactics... well as I said, the results are discouraging.