Is the US now pushing for a power sharing agreement in Afghanistan?
James Forsyth 8:21pmAbdullah Abdullah dropping out of the Afghan election run off and Hamid Karzai being elected by default has left the Nato-led coalition in a very difficult situation. After the level of fraud in the first round it is hard to claim that Karzai is a legitimate leader. But equally, leaving Afghanistan remains as unplatable an option as ever.
So it is intriguing that at today's White House press briefing, Obama's spokesman played for time when asked if Obama was now pushing for a power-sharing deal between Karzai and Abdullah. He told the journalists present, "Let me get some guidance from our guys in Kabul".
Certainly a power sharing deal would make it easier for Western politicians to make a case to their electorates for the continued deployment of troops to Afghanistan. But so far there is no sign that Abdullah--let alone Karzai--is interested in coming to a deal.
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logdon
November 2nd, 2009 8:35pm Report this commentGordon Brown Oct 20 2009
"It is vital that the new Afghan government has legitimacy in the eyes of its people. I have consistently said that the election must be allowed to run its course and that all concerned should respect the process....Our strategy depends on a strong Afghan government showing the leadership required to gain the trust of its people. This election is the opportunity for them to choose that leadership."
Private Eye No 1248. 30 Oct - 12 Nov-2009
November 2 20009
Opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah pulls out of election. Elections abandoned by Hamid Karzai. Gordon Brown telephones Karzai to congratulate him.
And he wonders why people ask about pill taking?
Michael Booth
November 2nd, 2009 9:02pm Report this commentIf Abdullah Abdullah won't run, what about Duran Duran?
John Duckham
November 2nd, 2009 10:58pm Report this commentlogdon:
If he is on medication; imagine what he might be like if he stopped taking the pills?
Frank P
November 2nd, 2009 11:57pm Report this commentMichael Booth
Funny, I'm getting an echo on my PC, could you repeat that?
The Masked Marvel
November 3rd, 2009 1:13pm Report this commentAfghanistan is an artificial construct. This whole idea of centralized leadership over an enormous amount of real estate, with inhabitants whose mindset is barely out of the Neolithic Era, is naive and inefficient.
There is no logical reason to maintain "Afghanistan" as the integral state it is now. It should be broken up into smaller chunks and power distributed to local leadership, so long as they aren't Taliban.
Having said that, this constant dirge being played over the failure of our troops is equally naive. The US and UK have done a tremendous job. There is no danger of the Taliban taking over the entire country, nor is there any danger of a government in league with Al Qaeda, who have mostly fled to the hinterlands, and into Pakistan. That's more of a success in the long run than anyone dares admit. The region doesn't look pretty to Western eyes because we're all spoiled children.
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