You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Afghanistan
Karzai does Turkmenistan
2002-03-16
  • Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov Turkmenbashy announced the decision made together with Hamid Karzai to make the border between their countries "a border of eternal friendship and benevolence." The two leaders had met on Thursday in Ashgabat. During the after–talk briefing, Niyazov named that issue as one of their primary subjects. The Turkmen President thanked Karzai for rendering various aid to ethnic Turkmens living in northern Afghan provinces.
    Things must be relatively quiet at home, so Hamid can continue his tours of neighboring states to mend fences. It's good for the country, they feed him well, and he's less likely to get shot.
    But these foreign jaunts are possible only due to the presence of British "mercenaries" propping his interim government up in Kabul. Take away the Brits and Gen Dostum rolls his tanks south to get some legislation passed by a new loya jirga. Karzai's only going to work out if he can ride about the capital as the Man on the White Horse, the New Saviour of Afghanistan. Maybe he'll be given some travel time before having to do the Father of His Country schtick, but the sooner he gets to business setting up a functional government (and terminating some warlord's careers "with extreme prejudice") the better.
    Posted by Tom Roberts 3/16/2002 1:29:51 PM
    Our problem is that Karzai doesn't have the power to do anything other than run the machinery. What Afghanistan "needed" was Dostum (since Masood was dead) - a tough guy with a vision, willing to cause "unfortunate accidents." What it required was a compromise candidate, offensive to as few as possible. Karzai has all the disadvantages of a compromise candidate, starting with a lack of gunnies who're loyal to him.
    Posted by Fred 3/17/2002 12:10:24 PM
    • Posted by:Fred Pruitt

    00:00