U.S. Seeks To Limit Warlords In Karzai Cabinet

[unhappycamper]

U.S. Seeks To Limit Warlords In Karzai Cabinet
First Posted: 11- 6-09 11:00 AM | Updated: 11- 6-09 11:10 AM

By Gareth Porter

WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (IPS) - The Barack Obama administration is talking tough to Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the need for decisive action on corruption and governance reform, but its main objective is to prevent particularly corrupt and incompetent warlords from getting plum ministries as rewards for helping clinch his fraudulent reelection, IPS has learned.

Obama told reporters Monday that he had emphasised to Karzai in a phone call to congratulate him on his re-election that there would have to be "a much more serious effort to eradicate corruption" and that "the proof is not going to be in words, it's going to be in deeds".

The New York Times reported the day after the Obama-Karzai conversation that the Obama administration wants Karzai to prosecute certain high-profile figures who are known to be involved in corruption. The story referred to the president's brother, Kandahar warlord Ahmed Wali Karzai, former defence minister Muhammad Qasim Fahim and Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum.

And on Wednesday, Adm. Mike Mullen, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that Karzai must "take concrete steps to eliminate corruption", adding it means "you have to rid yourself of those who are corrupt, you have to actually arrest and prosecute them".

The new public rhetoric and press stories have given the impression that the Obama administration is now pursuing far-reaching reform of Afghanistan's system of governance. But the sudden intensification of administration pressure on the issue of corruption is aimed less at far-reaching reform of the system than at avoiding a significant worsening of the problem in the wake of Karzai's fraudulent re-election.


Rest of article at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/06/us-seeks-to-limit-warlord_n_348402.html

[Solly Mack]

1. ...

..."take concrete steps to eliminate corruption" ... means "you have to rid yourself of those who are corrupt, you have to actually arrest and prosecute them".

Well,certainly,that is always the right thing to do.


I'm going to mosey on to the kitchen and get me some coffee now.

[Mari333]

2. our little puppet.

get the hell out of there, Obama.