The powerful governor of a southern Afghan province relinquished power Saturday as part of moves by President Hamid Karzai to assert more control in the far-flung provinces and rein in regional warlords. Gul Agha Sherzai handed power to Yusuf Pashtun in a quiet ceremony at the sprawling governor's residence. Sherzai will become a federal minister of urban affairs.
| And so endeth that era... |
"Afghanistan is a democratic country," Sherzai said at the ceremony, held in Kandahar — the spiritual headquarters of the former Taliban regime. "President Hamid Karzai has authority to change or dismiss anyone in Afghanistan." Sherzai's peaceful surrender of power contrasts to his arrival in Kandahar in December 2001. Then, Sherzai surged into Kandahar with his private army and took control of government offices despite a promise by Karzai to give the job of governor to another commander.
| Gul Agha was also the instrument by which the Talibs got their start in Afghanistan — he did a remarkable job of combining ineffectuality with corruption. He seems to have learned a few lessons since reassuming his seat in Kandahar... |
Karzai took the job of military commander of western Afghanistan away from another powerful warlord, Ismail Khan, who also is governor of western Herat. The human rights group Human Rights Watch has accused him of a repressive rule and attacks on intellectuals, dissidents and women. Gen. Baz Mohammed Ahmadi was appointed as the new corps commander for Herat, state television reported. Baz was previously commander Rushkhar military barracks in southern Kabul.
| That's a move that probably won't make much difference. Ismail has his own army. He was talking about integrating it into the national army, but his troops will probably retain their loyalty to him personally — and most of his commanders certainly will. |
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