U.S. officials fear Karzai can't keep anti-corruption pledge

[unhappycamper]

U.S. officials fear Karzai can't keep anti-corruption pledge
By Hal Bernton and Jonathan S. Landay | McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Tuesday, November 3, 2009

KABUL, Afghanistan — President Hamid Karzai vowed Tuesday that he'd clean up his government in his second five-year term, but U.S. officials are worried that the Afghan leader will have to award key posts to ethnic warlords and regional power barons who're linked to drug trafficking in exchange for their help in his re-election.

The U.S. concerns were heightened by the return from Turkey late Monday of Abdul Rashid Dostum, a notorious former communist general and a leader of the ethnic Uzbek minority who's alleged to have allowed the 2001 killing of as many as 2,000 Taliban and al Qaida prisoners, then having their mass graves dug up and their remains hidden in 2008.

Dostum, who left for Turkey a year ago after allegedly beating a political rival and his family, last visited Kabul four days before the Aug. 20 first round of the presidential election as part of an alleged deal to deliver the votes of his large following to Karzai. Dostum, however, quickly left again for Turkey after the U.S. complained.

U.S. officials were concerned that Dostum's return late Monday — the same day that President Barack Obama pressed Karzai in a telephone call congratulating him on his re-election to crack down on high-level corruption — was a prelude to his appointment to the Afghan leader's new cabinet.

"Dostum came back to cash in" said a U.S. defense official, who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly.


Rest of article at: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/78285.html

[Soylent Brice]

1. interesting character:

"He began as a Communist union boss in the 1970s until he formed an Uzbek militia. By the mid-1980s, he was in command of a 20,000-strong militia controlling the northern provinces of Afghanistan. He supported the Gorbachev-era Communist reforms in Afghanistan and was allied with the government of President Najibullah to defend the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the United States-backed mujahedin in the 1980s."

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/afghanistan/dostum.htm

so, he fought against us. now he vote rigs, er... i mean uh, helps Karzai, who is actually our puppet.

Russia has to be laughing their asses off at us right now.

[amandabeech]

2. This is just so FUBAR.

I talked to my mom yesterday. She wasn't the least bit aware that the Taliban wasn't Al Quaeda and she's usually up on things.

It looks like we're going to be in this miserable place for a long time.

[Stumbler]

3. Shouldn't we focus on domestic corruption, before going after Afghan corruption?

I don't like being part of the pot that always telling the kettle it's black. Why don't we worry about cleaning up the corruption in our own back yard before criticizing our neighbors for theirs.