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Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo / Dept. of Defense via AFP - Getty Images
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel speaks with Afghan president Hamid Karzai during a private meeting in Kabul.
KABUL —Afghan President Hamid Karzai ratcheted up his criticism of the United States on Sunday, marring a debut visit by the new U.S. defense secretary, Chuck Hagel, and highlighting tensions that could undermine Washington's strategy to wind down the unpopular war.
A day after two Taliban bombings killed 17 people, Karzai accused the United States and the Taliban of colluding to convince Afghans that foreign forces were needed beyond 2014, when NATO is set to wrap up its combat mission and most troops withdraw.
"Those bombs that went off in Kabul and Khost were not a show of force to America. They were in service of America. It was in the service of the 2014 slogan to warn us if they (Americans) are not here then Taliban will come," Karzai said in a speech.
"In fact those bombs, set off yesterday in the name of the Taliban, were in the service of Americans to keep foreigners longer in Afghanistan."
It was one of several inflammatory comments by Karzai and his government on Sunday and follow weeks of efforts by the Afghan leader to curtail U.S. military activity in Afghanistan, including a call to kick American special forces out of an important province. U.S. commanders see special operations forces as key to the end-phase of the conflict.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel responds to Afghan President Hamid Karzai's statements in which Karzai accused the U.S. and Taliban with working together.
Hours after Karzai's speech, Hagel said he spoke "clearly and directly" about the comments during his first meeting with the Afghan leader since becoming U.S. defense secretary on February 27.
Hagel appeared at pains to be respectful of Karzai and avoid sharp criticism, but he told reporters that any collusion between the U.S. and the Taliban "wouldn't make a lot of sense."
The U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Joseph Dunford, was more categorical.
"We have fought too hard over the past 12 years, we have shed too much blood over the past 12 years, we have done too much to help the Afghan security forces grow over the last 12 years to ever think that violence or instability would be to our advantage," Dunford told reporters travelling with Hagel.
Of Karzai's remarks, he added: "I'll let others judge whether that's particularly helpful or not at the political level."
Still, politics will be key over the next several months, as the United States and NATO allies work to carry out their strategy of pulling out their troops and decide how large a residual force to leave behind after 2014.
NATO defense chiefs meeting in Brussels last month discussed keeping a combined U.S. and allied force of 8,000-12,000 in Afghanistan, focusing on training Afghan troops and countering the remnants of al Qaeda, the Pentagon has said.
Any deal for a follow-on force, which Washington says must include immunity for U.S. troops, would need Karzai's blessing.
Abusing students? Taliban talks?
Karzai has a history of making incendiary statements that exasperate Washington but the nature and awkward timing of his latest remarks about the United States were exceptional.
He also alleged on Sunday that the Taliban and the United States had been holding talks in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar on a "daily basis," further fuelling his suggestion that Washington and the militants were working at common purposes.
"I told the president that it was not true," Hagel said. "The fact is any prospect for peace or political settlements - that has to be led by the Afghans."
The Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid, denied that negotiations with the United States had resumed.
Karzai's government also alleged that U.S.-led forces and Afghans working with them were abusing and arresting university students. Karzai issued an executive order banning foreign troops from entering all education institutions.
Hagel and Karzai were meant to have appeared together at a joint news conference on Sunday evening. But, in a reminder of the threats posed by the resilient insurgency, U.S. officials said it was canceled because of security concerns.
Hagel was about a kilometer away and within earshot of a Saturday morning suicide attack outside the defense ministry that killed nine people. He was meant to have met his Afghan counterpart there this weekend but the venue was later changed.
Hagel's visit coincided with the passing of a deadline imposed by Karzai for U.S. special forces to leave Wardak province accusing them of overseeing torture and killings.
U.S. forces have denied involvement in any abuses.
Hagel has sounded hopeful that a deal could be reached on their continued deployment but acknowledged no breakthroughs were made in his talks with Karzai.
It was unclear how Hagel's trip would be viewed by U.S. Republicans who bitterly fought his nomination to become defense chief, portraying him as soft on Iran and questioning his judgment.
Hagel at times appeared sympathetic to the stresses of political life that Karzai must endure.
"I know these are difficult issues for President Karzai and the Afghan people. And I was once a politician," Hagel said. "So I can understand the kind of pressures - especially leaders of countries - are always under."
Additional reporting by Hamid Shalizi
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Leave a Comment:
Get out of Afghanistan.
This guy is losing his mind.
Looks like Egypt and Afghanistan have developed a "new" relationship.
Karzai is just mouthing off anything he thinks his uneducated populace is dumb enough to believe at this point.
Time for the butterfly nets. First off we are still there cause his side has been foot dragging and now he seems to have been taken over by the Taliban. Do what we have been doing. Shore up our relationship with the warlords and get the hell out we can always influence what happens there from afar.
Obviously Karzai is being facetious.
I think he's just making the point that the Taliban have better recruitment and more justification for their cause while American forces are in Afghana**hole. Meanwhile, the only reason the US can remain and influence their politics and economy is because the Taliban are making mischief.
The Taliban want more people to resent the US enough that they can seize power all over again.
Jingoists need the Taliban to provide excuses for the military to stay. I do NOT mean to indicate that all members of the military are Jingoists.
Of course they're not conspiring. But they both have vested interests in the conflict and that seems to be the point Karzai is making. Interesting.
When Russia was in Afganistan, the US supported them against Russia. If you look at the countries where The Muslims are in total power, you will see that the Taliban is NOT the enemy to the governments. Look at the doctor who assisted the US in killing Bin Laden. He was arrested when his identity was leaked to the public. If the Government had been truly on the side of the US, he would have been treated as a hero. He is probably dead by now or languishing in prison.
The politicians in Washington think we are stupid with short memories.
The thugs are playing the US for money. Watching the drama of the middles east is like watching PROFESSIONAL wrestling, it is real.
Lazarus
This article is really thin. They don't even provide a quote. Someone must be digging into MEMRI or something.
Well, they give a couple of lines but man. Gotta love the news. No context. Fragmentary. Sensationalism.
Now there is proof that this moron is nuts. Get out of that @!$%#-hole country!
This piece is incomprehensible and unsupporting but, then again, what else can you say about our involvement in Afghanistan that hasn't already been said about herpes.
Mr. Karzai is not nuts. He is a drug addict with mental problems and has been this way for years. He's such a joy to work with!
So lemme get this straight, NBC.
This story of a deranged lunatic like Karzai is news, but the emails from the Owebama administration instructing their agencies to make the sequestration cuts as painful as possible to the American people (to be in line with Owebama's narrative) is not news worthy?
I suppose that's why NBC came in last place in February Sweeps... and also came in last place when people were polled to name the most trusted news network. Oops - TIED for last... WITH THE COMEDY CHANNEL!! It's actually sad that a once news network has devolved into this. But hey, keep flushing yourself down the toilet, NBC - it's fun to watch!
My only surprise is that NBC didn't try to spin this into an article that blames the collusion on George W.
that's what happens when you smoke heroin all day , peeking out the curtains !
We supported the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen NOT the LATER 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban.
The Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban DO NOT exist anywhere except Afghanistan. You do know that after the US Abandoned US Ally Afghanistan after Operation Cyclone that the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban Massacred the US Ally 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen; then the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban massacred any supected Collaborators to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers; unopposed the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban started destroying anything that was "Western", "Modern", "Non Islamic" of 20th Century Afghanistan.
Most of the people that currently posted lack cognitive skills, so they missed this important point:
And this ANONYMOUS U.S. official knows 100% because the US is still in contact with the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban as ordered by President Obama.
Once again the ANONYMOUS U.S. official. This crap is just like the last time when while being investigated by General McChrystal as requested by President Karzai, President Obama's Political Appointees Holbrooke and Eikenberry to deflect blame from themselves spending Billions USDs that they could not account for with nothing being built nor done, they started screaming to the News Media, "Karzai Corrupt". In the end, after the Investigations (Concluded by General Petraeus), President Obama's Political Appointee Holbrooke and Eikenberry could NOT account for the Billions USDs spent and what they promised as the restoration of basic electricity and water was NOT done (what President Karzai included as his promise to the Afghan people during his election). Within In one week after General Petraeus concluded his investigations as requested by President Karzai; President Obama's Political Appointee Holbrooke died on the operating table at Pakistan after straining his heart. President Obama's Political Appointee Eikenberry Tendered his Letter of Resignation.
President Obama's Political Appointee US Civilians on General McChrystal's High Level Staff - "This Administration Does Not Know What It Is Doing".
Instead of the President Obama Deflection of Blame Game, Everyone needs to know the truth that due to President Obama's Failed Foreign Policies, the US and US Allies Lost the US Military Logistics Support Bases at Pakistan as REQUIRED to support the United Nation's Mission at LANDLOCKED Afghanistan. Without these US Military Logistics Support Bases at Pakistan, the Unsupported UN, US, NATO Military Forces must withdraw from US Ally Afghanistan by 2014.
The maximum Military Forces including International Aid Workers that can be supported without the US Military Logistics Support Bases at Pakistan is 30,000.
This is NOT something new, as during the British Empire Era, the British knew that any "British Adventures" into Landlocked Afghanistan needed the Pakistanis Sea Ports, Logistics Bases, Khyber Pass, etc.. The reason why the British were defeated, the reason why the USSR were defeated (we continually attacked their convoys coming from Pakistan and took their supplies and destroyed the rest during Operation Cyclone, when the USSR attempted to open a second MSR from Tajikistan, that too was continuely attacked). This allows Pakistan to influence the overall situation at Landlocked Afghanistan (what is the Civilian population of Afghanistan going to do without products from external to Afghanistan, unless they deal with the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, Iran's Allies the Chinese or Russian Federation or the Holy Warriors of Islam that control most of Pakistan.).
After Operation Cyclone the US Abandoned the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen instead of helping them rebuild 20th Century Afghanistan (US Ally Afghanistan built up by the US from the 1950s till 1979 as a 20th Century "Little America"). The 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban as Fully Supported by the USSR Backed Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran start their massacres.
And from the Article:
Sure talk behind the US Allies Backs with enemies and foster greater trust of US Allies (Extreme Sarcasm).
The US shouldn't say a word. They should simply load everything up on the C-130's, flatbeds, whatever, and quietly drive/fly north into our bases in Uzbekistan and go home.
Leave Karzai standing on the sidewalk yelling out "Was it something I said?"
The time has long since passed for our troops to be removed from this place. It's just like most other nations; all they want is our financial aid. Well, screw them! Let them fend for themselves! My only hope is that once our troops are out (and I do hope it's every last member of our Armed Forces and contractors) that when the Taliban or perhaps al-Qaida come back in to begin to take over the place that the politicians are the ones that will be held accountable "for conspiring with the infidels". When will our politicians ever learn (not in Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Columbia, Honduras, Panama, Iraq I, Iraq II) that things will not change simply because our elected officials in Washington or the President, decide that they are going to send our servicemen and women, wherever and try to "make things right"? All this does is cost the US too many lost lives (one is too many for most of these nations, which inevitably want nothing more than to kill Americans) and too many tax dollars!
If any member of Congress, truly feels as though it is truly in the best interests, of the United States, to deploy our Armed Forces, each member of Congress, who votes for deployment of US Personnel, who has any children, nieces, nephews, or grandchild, who is between the ages of 18 and 35, should re required to be drafted into the Army or Marine Corps (up front, ground forces), upon passing approval of legislation as indicated by the President's signature. They will then select between these two branches of the Armed Forces and report for Basic Training within 72 hours, of the signing of the legislation by the President, or deployment of any Armed Forces personnel. Immediately following completion of Basic Training, these personnel will report for training, for any military occupational specialty, that is available and suits the needs of the military (that is classified as a front line military occupational specialty). Upon completion of all required training, these personnel will be authorized 14 days leave and then be deployed for a period of not less than one year. In this, members of Congress will have a vested interest in the event they choose to vote for deployment of our Armed Forces, and perhaps with their loved one’s lives on the line, they may not be so quick to send someone else’s child in harms way.
It's time for our elected officials to pull their collective heads out of their a$$e$, and start working on fixing the issues affecting OUR nation:
To go after those who were responsible for the demise of our economy, 5 years ago, and take their assets (all of them) to repay what was lost by the nation (hey it's too hard to say exactly who, so put it toward the National Debt) and then send them to prison where they belong;
To use as much effort as they use against the other political party to go after those who are defrauding Medicare and Medicaid out of tens of BILLIONS of dollars every year. Then when they find them, take ALL their assets, take their licenses (medical and business) and send their a$$e$ to prison where they belong!
Then do what is truly in the best interests of our whole nation and enact true tax reform and eliminate all the loop holes that the rich and big business are using to not pay their fair share of taxes. Now, anyone who says that is a tax increase is a total idiot!!! The tax already exists! These people are finding ways to get around it and ripping off the government so they don't have to pay their fair share! Don't believe me? Then how does General Electric, number 1 on Forbes 500, with revenue of more than $615 Billion not have to pay taxes? In fact they got a $3 Billion tax return. Something just isn't right.
Then, take all the revenue that is gained from closing the loopholes on business tax code. and put that toward Social Security as previous administrations "borrowed" money from the fund and no administration has made any attempt to pay it back. This began with Johnson, who was the first, to break the law as it was written in the legislation that established the fund that mo money could be taken from the fund and used for other purposes. Well, now all the Baby Boomers, who put all that money in the fund to create this big pot of money, are now retiring and the government needs it, to pay out what is owed! No, not a give me entitlement like food stamps, it was bought and paid for by every man and woman who has ever worked.
Then, take all the money that is gained from closing the loopholes in the Individual Tax Code and put it toward the National Debt. It's time that we start taking responsibility for what has been done.
Our nation then needs to establish Constitutional Amendments stating that Congress and the President will come to an agreement on a budget for our nation by May 1st each year. If it is an election year, no member of Congress will be allowed to campaign for, raise funds, or run for re-election until a budget agreement has been reached and signed by the President. For all members of Congress, who are not up for re-election, their pay will be reduced 50% for each day, past May 1st, that our nation does not have an approved budget This amendment will clearly outline that the only Federal expenditures that may be utilized for non-citizens of the United States will be for their deportment, which will occur in an expeditious manner, once deportment has been ordered, not to exceed 72 hours.
That a Constitutional Amendment needs to be established outlining, what should be "normal" ethics codes, for members of Congress addressing their relationship with businesses throughout the world. This includes what they may receive and any arrangements for employment in any capacity (active or advisory) for themselves. family members, or known acquaintances; not allowing the receipt of any gifts, gratuities, special favors, or any tangible item (this even includes meals) with a value of more than $25, just as it is for Federal Workers; and to finally establish true campaign finance reform, so that elections and the service of our elected officials, will return to the hands of the people and not big business or other special interests.
To establish an organization within the Federal Government that will conduct an intensive review and evaluation of every organization within the Federal Government, to see where there are instances of fraud, waste, abuse, or excess personnel that can be eliminated to reduce the cost of running the infrastructure that is NEEDED, to see to the needs of the LEGAL CITIZENS, of our nation. The initial review will be completed within one year of the date designated by the President. As this will be a massive undertaking, when it is being conducted initially, this organization will be authorized the use of temporary hires, to ensure the review is conducted within the allotted time frame. Prior to completion of the initial review, the head of this organization will work with the President and Congress, to establish the size of the organization to provide for continuous reviews of Federal Government expenditures. Any person found guilty of accepting ANY special favors in exchange for a more favorable or inflated review, will be terminated immediately and brought up on charges of Defrauding the Government.
It's time our elected officials get off their a$$es and do the job they were sent to Washington and all other State Capitals, City Halls or whatever and look out for the interests of the people they SERVE. If they aren't willing or able to do this, they don't need to look to get elected; they should instead look at finding a way in the private sector to rip off the people of our nation!
This guy is two or three short of a six pack. This entire war has been a total waste of blood and treasure; we must get our people out of this third world rat hole ASAP. Trying to civilize a place like Afghanistan is like trying to herd cats.
Forget Karzai, he is a nobody, a rogue US puppet that is scared to death of what will happen to him after the US leaves.
Instead of training Afghan men to take over their country's security, train all of the women to defend themselves and arm them with individual-specific-triggering concealed small caliber semi-autos. Women are the ones who will suffer most if the Taliban take over again. Small, concealed self-defense guns would be the great equalizer for them and would be a hell of a lot cheaper for us.
Instead of being stoned, harassed, sexually mutilated, etc by the Taliban, they would be able to assert their right to self protection in a manner that would be understood by those religious fanatics. Other than moving all women out of Afghanistan, arming and training them would be probably the only long term way to provide the Afghan women with equality--with the side benefit of letting the women get rid of the Taliban for the US.
David
I always enjoy your posts. I agree that the talks with the Taliban are not only useless, they are anti diplomatic to our allies.
Greg
Please share the loop holes. I am doing my taxes and see none other than mortgage deductions and charitable deductions. The corporate tax structure needs to be redone, especially as to corporate dividends. Either make them deductible to corporations or not taxable to individuals.
Back to the story
In a way, Karzai is right. The Taliban and US have tried to come to some agreement, failed, and continue to be at war with each other. A waste of US diplomacy. I don't think we will ever end or befriend the Taliban. We will destabilize and neuter them.
WTF. first they don't want strikes against the talianimals, and now they are accusing of conspiring. hell, the only winers here are china, russia and iran. for now and in continuences, the talianimals and the other muslime will proceed killing each other
If memory serves me right we helped to install this joker!
See, from batteries and solar companies to despot leaders, the American Govt. could not pick a winner if our lives depended on it no matter who is president or what party they are from.
Lets get back to a Fed. govt. run by the Constitution only!
David,
Bush/Cheney, not WE installed this joker.
Lar,David didn't post.He wrote a short novel.
just a cleraning lady
Yes, david475776's post are long, but sometimes people on this post ignore the facts because they are long. david never cust corner. You will find his posts worthwhile.
David3994413 and Ellis
The US spent money, lost lives to allow the Afghans to vote for their leaders. The US didn't install anyone. I do not like Karzai, he is a druggie, liar and corrupt. But then again, that describes a lot of leaders in that region.
Who was your choice to run Afghanistan?
This man will be killed in no time, by his own people. I think it time to leave, even if earlier than expected. But leave with a warning to all in the populace. "Stand up and take care of the scum in your society yourselves, because if we have to come back, it will be with B-52 and B-2 bombers carpet bombing the entire population and entire country regardless of whether supposed friend or foe. We will not step foot on your soil, but you will know that we have been there. Don't deny that you have been warned."
shocking...
.
but Karzai does sound like an American politician on campaign trail.
Funny how history repeats itself.
After billions of American dollars and 3500 NATO lives to put Afghanistan in order, train and build up Afghanistan's military and police forces, Karzai now wants America out so he can be the new Saddam..
Karzai needs to meet with an accident for the sake of the Afghan people
Lar,Yes he is an excellent writer but we lost an hour today.I'm dragging behind and have no patience for such a lengthy post.Sorry for being a grouch.I'm fed up with our country being in a holding pattern.there are bigger fish to fry here at home.
Lar,
I did not have a horse in the race, but Bush/Cheney propped Karzai up and lobbied for him as president
david-475776: Thanks for enlightening those of us without cognitive skills. Now, go back to Fox News and get us more. This is really good stuff you just don't get anywhere else.
If memory serves me right, just in this past year, it was reported that Karzai and the Taliban were already buttbuddies. Karzai was upset that the US and the Taliban weren't in peaceful talks with one another. Is this the same guy?
I'm with the rest of you folks, load'em up, move'em out. We are done with Afghanistan. And for the person who thought of arming the women for self protection, make sure they are provided with plenty of ammo. The guns should be relatively light because little girls will need them, too.
Just had another thought--load up about 1,000 younger Afghani women, and bring them to the states for a couple of months. Pair them with assertive women, and let them learn our ways. Then arm them, and take them back home. Protect them for a time while they round up other women and tell them that they aren't cattle or slaves. It's a place to start. At this point, what have we got to lose.
It's time for somebody to tell this organ-grinder monkey to STFU or we will leave that country and they can fend for themselves. No more foreign aid for any of these F-ed up middle east countries!
Beginning to think Karzai has untreated syphilis.
@ Greg-621390 great idea, good luck getting a vote on it though.
You obviously don't make enough money then.
What a hopeless waste of humanity.
Antistupidity
I may not, but I make enough to be subject to Obamacare tax and AMT. But again I see no loop holes. Please tell me what rich people like you do to save taxes.
I realize that cap gains and dividends are taxed at lower rates, even the new 20% if you make over $400/450K. But those breaks make sense. Tell me the "loopholes". Or do you just believe that because someone told you.
I think Mr. Karzai has been using too much of his own product.
Now can we stop sending money to Muslims???
They will never like us. Even if we give them free stuff. They aren't like liberals. They just hate. Maybe because they don't have movie theaters and McDonalds and strip clubs.
They are good for one thing... drone target practice.
Lar-345817
I don't make enough either but I am sure Warren Buffet and Donald Trump could point them out for us.
@ Pigotry..
ROFL..
I finally found something I could agree with you on and vote for your comment. Thank you so much for the humor of the day, I loved it.
Karzai going to turn on US troops and we will have to fight out way out of Afghanistan, never found a Muslim you can trust, never turn you back on them.
That was the dumbest statement you've made so far God your stupid.
Lar-345817
***Bush/Cheney - 2014***
This guy is out of his mind. Ok, fine- pull out all our troops now, shutoff the pipeline of billions in aid that we pump into his country. Get out, stay out and let him deal with the taliban.
@ King Fish:
I disagree. That comment is priceless and about the only thing I've ever agreed with Pigotry about.
It sounds exactly like an American politician hitting the campaign trail in full "trash the competition" mode; you start slinging the mud without any proof of what you're saying is actually true. You just jump in, splash around, and hope some of it sticks.
Karzai has been ticked off at the US for the last couple of years since we found out he was allowing his brother to use all the funds we sent there as his personal checking account... homes in Dubai, and things of that nature... and when the bank ran out of money Karzai wanted Uncle Sam to fill it back up and Washington wouldn't do it and wouldn't send any more funds to Karzai's bank to pay contractors and soldiers there without a comptroller to oversee the funds.
We've been on a bad footing with him ever since.
Maybe Karzai has PTSD.
.
Bring our troops home NOW . . .
then make it a TOP PRIORITY to get their VA benefits to them quickly (currently takes more than a year!) because they EARNED THEM! then pass the JOBS bill so the ones who can be employed are not left unemployed! we all need to move . . .
.
FORWARD! :-)
In Satans plan to create his One-world socialist democracy, his one-world government, his one-world army, his one-world bank and his one-world currency, he will stop at nothing to get these things' done and none of these allegations would surprise me as being true.
It will make no difference whether we leave today, ten years from now or ten decades (a la McCain) from now. Once we are gone the Afghans will sort it out for themselves. Our puppet Karzai won't last any longer than the Russian's puppet did.
Hello folks, the US through the CIA and Zbigniew Brzezinski created and has been funding the Taliban and Al Qaeda before the Russian invasion into Afghanistan in 1979. Karzai is just another in a long line of American puppet leaders. The US bad mouthing Karzai is the pot calling the kettle black!
We fund and give these rebels arms and political cover when it is convenient and when is isn't we fight them. The US has been in bed with the Taliban over their huge Poppy crop which supplies the world with the majority of heroin that is produced.
Afghanistan as a Drug War
“From a modest 185 tons at the start of American intervention in 2001, Afghanistan now produced 8,200 tons of opium, a remarkable 53 percent of the country’s GDP and 93 percent of global heroin supply.
In this way, Afghanistan became the world’s first true ‘narco-state.’ If a cocaine traffic that provided just 3 percent of Colombia’s GDP could bring in its wake endless violence and powerful cartels capable of corrupting that country’s government, then we can only imagine the consequences of Afghanistan’s dependence on opium for more than 50 percent of its entire economy.
At a drug conference in Kabul this month, the head of Russia’s Federal Narcotics Service estimated the value of Afghanistan’s current opium crop at $65 billion. Only $500 million of that vast sum goes to Afghanistan’s farmers, $300 million to the Taliban guerrillas, and the $64 billion balance ‘to the drug mafia,’ leaving ample funds to corrupt the Karzai government in a nation whose total GDP is only $10 billion.”
This definitely isn't your fathers America any longer. We are as corrupt as any country out there!
Screw that, Chris. I sincerely hope to high Hades that one day soon I'll turn on the news in the morning to find out that Karzai's body has been stung underneath a bridge in the Kabul River basin.
good evening, HOTTICKET..
At the risk of sounding bloodthirsty.... so do I.
My guess is he will be on the last plane out with the US troops, on his way to the US to make his home here where we can support and guard him until he drops dead from too much good Western living.
Trustverify
I don't think the Taliban or Al Qaida even existed before the war in Afghanistan against Russia. And even if they did in some format, the US through the CIA did not fund them. The CIA did provide arms to Mujaheddin fighters in the war against Russia. But if you studied history you would know the Russians were our enemies then and we backed a poorly supplied group against our enemies.
What you do need to know is that alignments change in the Middle East quickly. That is why intelligence is so important. The Israelis backed Hamas in its nascent years as a better alternative to the terrorist and Arafat lead Fatah. When Hamas became terrorists, Israel quickly pulled funding.
We are NOT as corrupt as any country out there, but this ISN'T your father's America because it isn't your father's world. There are no more enemies bound by geopolitical boundaries. We are fighting ideologies and surrogates (like Iran's Hamas and Hezbollah). We are adapting to a war of intelligence rather than a conventional war. Welcome to the 21st century.
Wow, with friends like him We don't need anymore enemies, what a piece of work, this is why We need to CUT ALL FUNDS to that country .... If you bite the hand that feeds you you should get a SLAP IN THE FACE!
Karzai is an ungrateful, backwards, and backstabbing dweeb from a country full of the same kind of people. Mr President, get our people out of there now! That place is not worth what it has cost us in blood already!
HOTTICKET-2304234 screminmimi
Karzai will probably be dead within 3 months of our final withdrawal and the Taliban will be back in control, who's going to guard him and protect the country, the Afghan police and military are rife with Taliban infiltrators just biding their time. China's going to have a tough time getting the minerals they bought.
So lemme get this straight, NBC.
This story of a deranged lunatic like Karzai is news, but the emails from the Owebama administration instructing their agencies to make the sequestration cuts as painful as possible to the American people (to be in line with Owebama's narrative) is not news worthy?
I suppose that's why NBC came in last place in February Sweeps... and also came in last place when people were polled to name the most trusted news network. Oops - TIED for last... WITH THE COMEDY CHANNEL!! It's actually sad that a once news network has devolved into this. But hey, keep flushing yourself down the toilet, NBC - it's fun to watch!
My only surprise is that NBC didn't try to spin this into an article that blames the collusion on George W.
It would certainly be nice if Karzai met with an accident and a new leader was elected before NATO pulls out at the end of 2014
Realist,
But it is George W's fault, he is the one who propped Karzi up, funded his campaign and lobbied to get him elected.
Karzai is only in power because the CIA helped him fix elections. You can bet he is saying this because we allowed it, or it was our idea. It's running cover for us getting out of Afghanistan and for him and his domestic forces who hate our guts. His regime is a puppet regime of the USA, end of story. Anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't follow COIN (counter insurgency) strategy very well. Black-Ops has done this since the 1950s. It is what we call "nation-building"; set up a puppet regime and pretend we don't control them so the domestic population will rally behind it in fake opposition to us. It's a tweeked version of what we tried in Korea, Vietnam, etc.
It almost always fails. Nation-building is a low success rate strategy because you either have to use "scorched Earth" (Vietnam) or "hearts and minds" (which isn't easy while you're occupying and killing them). It also has nothing to do with self defense, hence it takes 7-12 years (or more...some argue 30 years). The self defense strategy in Afghanistan won by year 2...and that's when it ceased to be a war of self defense and became a war of empire expansion. We should have left after year 2, period.
YES! The Libs actually found a way to try to blame this story on Bush. Well done Ellis!
Listening to the libs trying to blame everything wrong today on Bush is even more fun than trying to link Kevin Bacon to every movie!
Lar-345817
You obviously haven't heard of off shore bank accounts in countries that don't have income tax that the super rich use to evade the tax laws of your country. I thought this was common knowledge.
Hope it does not mean get into Syria and Iran!
VeniVidiVici
You obviously don't know that the IRC requires US citizens to report income on a world wide basis. If US citizens chose to evade taxes that is their choice but that is no different than owning a business and not reporting cash sales.
On the other hand, if they create irrevocable trusts, either overseas or in the US, Delaware being a hot spot, they can avoid paying tax themselves, but the trust becomes a separate tax paying entity. If it is overseas, it depends on that jurisdiction. And the transaction to fund the trust is taxable, transfer tax applies (gift and estate) rather than income tax.
So much for your memory. The Afghan Citizens did the voting at risk to having their ink stained fingers cut off by the Taliban.
So, Ellis Baumgarner, since according to your conspiracy theory, Bush installed President Karzai, and that means that after all this time, your god and savior President Obama is impotent, ineffective, can do nothing, to remove President Karzai.
Typical nothing to add to the Adult Discussion, just a cleaning lady, Facts (Definition Fact -Experience or Observations) are not just your conditioned Attention Deficit Disorder One Liner Twits (Definition A Twit - silly annoying person)
And no one held a gun to your head to read the Facts. You want to remain Uninformed, uneducated sure don't read and know the situation here.
Nope Facts (Definintion Fact - Experience or Observations) obtained by being here for years of consecutive tours observing, listening, and surviving. I use Unclassified sources (News Media Articles) that reflect the actual events and real Facts (that I have observed or from firsthand experience).
First your "Hello folks", your "folks" are the Fundamentalist Islamic Believers that believe your Taqiya (Lies to Advance Islam).
Second, during Operation Cyclone we extensively vetted everyone to prevent USSR Infiltrators, Pro USSR Afghans and Pakistanis, USSR Spetsnaz, as tall as he was Fundamentalist Islamic Osama Bin Laden would have suck out like a sore thumb, that is how we knew he was not here during Operation Cyclone and was still living with his Rich Saudi Arabian Relatives forming his Al Quada to Overthrow the US Ally Government of Saudi Arabia, and starting to plan the 1993 First World Trade Center Bombings because the US would not leave Saudi Arabia.
After Vetting, we trained and lead the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen to fight the USSR 40th Army.
After the US Abandoned the US Ally 1980s Pro US Afghans, the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban massacred the US Ally 1980s Pro US Afghans.
Hint to all the ignorant, you keep abandoning US Ally Afghanistan, like before after Operation Cyclone to get massacred again by the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban, there will be less and less Pro US Afghans for the next time the US goes into Afghanistan to clean out the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban that provide Islamic Sanctuary and Sponsor the next Holy Warriors of Islam 9/11 Attack. Translation, Repeat the Same Mistakes and Expect Different Results.
Lar-345817 is correct.
Are you worried that the US will kill your Fundamentalist Islamic Holy Warriors of Islam buddies.
We need to eliminate President Obama's "Syrian Rebels" of Al Quada Syria (AQS), Al Quada Iraq (AQI), and the Kurdistanis PKK, HPG, KGK as listed by President Obama's US Department of State as Terrorist Organizations so that after they attempt to Overthrow the Established Government of Syria (President Assad Ally of President Obama's Friend Putin), the Kurdistanis PKK, HPG, KGK will not use the weapons, ammunition, etc. obtained from the "Syrian Civil War" to fight US Ally Turkey for the Southern half of US Ally Turkey to form Kurdistan.
Stated Strategic Goal of the Kurdistanis PKK, HPG, KGK:
http://monicatyne.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/map_kurdistan1.jpg
I would like to comment that Karzai has lost it! but I'm not sure he ever had it.
I understand that even with the money we pumped into that $hit hole ! the nation is still broke, but Karzai and a hand full of politicians own a big stock of Dubai, some very nice high end properties. I don't know what his problem is when he retires he can slip away and live in the lap of luxury, that's next year when he retires. all he has to do is follow us out the door. he can take some of his Taliban friends with him. and with the proceeds they will make off of the opium they can turn around and buy the country. it should be cheep after all the Afghanistan people move to the US, Canada and Europe. do you think the Talaban will follow them? I also don't understand why the people there are so paranoid about our leaving, Obama has pledged to them that he will support Afghanistan for at least another decade. or did Karzai set up a special account so the money will go to his retirement fund.
Not saying this is true, but definitely could imagine it being true. Can't blame it on W either.
War for the sake of war is supposed to be the Republicans M.O. What say you Dems. Obama has some tough questions to answer. I'm sure he will not be asked though. God forbid the media trouble our supreme leader with real world issues.
And exactly what reason would the Taliban have to want foreign troops to stay in Afghanistan?
Might I suggest you actually take a moment to think about what you are going to post before you post it.
Ferg: Who decided to nation-build in that place? Bush. Who screwed up the mission with inadequate resources, thus diverted to Iraq? Bush. Who let Bin-Laden escape? Bush. Who put Karzai in charge? Bush. Who lied to the American people about our supposed "progress" there? Bush.
Again, Obama was handed a turd by the GOP. What say you to that?
yak,
It's too bad the SMARTEST man (Harvard Law Review and all) can't figure out how to "correct" all of Bush's mistakes after close to five years.
Sad................
Shut up Ferg you slimey little troll we do not need that. One would think you may not be a true American
Ferg,
I don't follow your logic at all. Usually it's the dems that start the war and the repubs that clean up the mess! G.W started Afghanistan and Iraq and even negotiated the withdrawal from Iraq before he left office. In Afghanistan, after the initial invasion and removal of the Taliban, he reduced troop levels so that the only real operations going on were search missions for OBL and other top Al Qaeda terrorists. It was Big O that increased troop levels there along with the casualty rate. No I disagree with the statement about war for the sake of war being a republican M.O.
Yakfitguy,
Clinton let OBL slip through his fingers when the Afghans wanted to hand him over while he was in office. Clinton signed the resolution passed in 1998 or 1999 that called for the removal of Saddam and his regime from power "by any means necessary". Bush was fighting Afghanistan the way Biden wanted to fight it, with a few special operations groups that were on search and destroy missions for Al Qaeda. It was Obama that intensified the troop levels and the casualty rates in that war. I am not saying that that wasn't the correct decision to make, just clarifying that the blame needs to be spread not pinned on one man or administration.
It's more likely that Karzai is experiencing one of his paranoid delusions, his personal nightmare, where his staunchest secret ally, the Taliban, colludes with his worst secret enemy, the U.S.
Al Qaeda was not even on the top terrorist lists in the late 90s. Research keeps posters from looking stupid. Karzai is manuevering so that he will have a position in the new government once we leave. We should have left the first time he showed his true colors. Waste of our money and complete waste of time to continue.
yakfitguy THE LOW OR NO INFORMATION UNEDUCATED POSTER, AND THOSE THAT VOTED FOR YOUR POST ARE WORSE.
The United Nation's Mission since 2001.
Nope. The screw up was being a United Nation's Mission, NATO screwed up and appointed Gentleman British General McColl as the Commander ISAF, he did nothing to stop the Taliban, Al Quada, Islamic Jihadists from returning to Afghanistan from Northern Iraq via Iran after we chased them out of Afghanistan, nor did he attempt to stop them from returning from Pakistan. While we were in Northern Iraq conducting 2001 Operation Viking Hammer to eliminate the Taliban, Al Quada, Islamic Jihadists we chased to Northern Iraq, that combined with the Kurdistanis PKK, HPG, KGK and became Ansar Al Islam.
Iraq was due to President Clinton's US Policy Overthrow of President Hussein in accordance with President Clinton's US Law, H.R.4655 "Iraqis Liberation Act of 1998" Section 3 US Policy Overthrow of President Hussein, Section 2 Findings (Justifications) Weapons of Mass Destruction, with US Congresional Appropriations that became 2003 Operation Iraqis Freedom.
After the 9/11 2001 Attacks, President Bush (43) sent his Executive Intelligence Agency, the CIA, into Afghanistan to Locate and Capture Osama Bin Laden. This Failed due to President Clinton (42) previous Gutting of the US Intelligence Agencies that were previously built up to be the envy of the World by the Director of the CIA Bush (President #41). The Local Afghan Intelligence Assets were no longer funded ever since President Clinton (42) Gutted the US Intelligence Agencies.
President Bush (43) by Executive Order he Delegated the Mission to Locate and Capture Osama Bin Laden ever since President Clinton refused offered extradiction of Osama Bin Laden after the 1993 First World Trade Center Bombings. By Executive Order the Mission to Locate and Capture Osama Bin Laden was delegated to the Director of the CIA, Commander US Military Special Operations Command, Commander US Military Joint Special Operations Command. It was Absolutely Necessary to Capture Osama Bin Laden to gain his thought processes and planning processes he imprinted on his Al Quada Leadership for the US to preemptively interdict all Al Quada Activities Worldwide.
In October President Bush (43) as Commander In Chief had US Military Asymmetric Warfare attached to the CIA's SAD/SOG go into Afghanistan to Overthrow the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban Government, Eliminate the Al Quada and Islamic Jihadists that Sponsored the 9/11 2001 Attacks (Provided Fundamentalist Islamic Osama Bin Laden and his Al Quada with Islamic Sanctuary).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arxKhJIjIiY
Go right ahead and call Vice President Biden a liar. Before this Documentary comes out, since you were not a participant the "Angel of Death" was a US Military woman doing precision Airstrikes against the Taliban, Al Quada, Islamic Jihadists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmiyyLNogaY
In 2006 by Presidential Executive Order President Bush (43) Amended the US No Assassination Policy to Authorize the Termination of Osama Bin Laden failing his Capture. This was considered a Mission Failure (loss of Strategic Intelligence).
Harvard International Review Article, 2006, "US No Assassination Policy On The Offensive".
President Obama just happened to be in Office, after the wheels were already in motion since 2001. The CIA without President Clinton's knowledge already had the CIA's "Little Ms. 100%" going after Osama Bin Laden since the 1993 First World Trade Center Bombings for 16 years.
The Afghan Citizens at risk of having their ink stained fingers chopped off by the Taliban voted for President Karzai.
General McKiernan requested 90,000 US Military to accomplish the General McKiernan War Plan To Win Afghanistan. President Obama starts telling the US Public "Anything needed to Win Afghanistan they (US Military) will get", "Iraq was the Wrong War, Afghanistan is the right War". President Obama as Commander In Chief refuses General McKiernan's request of 90,000 US Military. General McKiernan as his Duty as a US Military Officer informed the US Citizens in his Interview with Katie Couric of CBS News. President Obama demands General McKiernan's Letter of Resignation. After General McKiernan resigns President Obama grabs General McKiernan's War Plan to Win Afghanistan and renamed this the Obama War Plan To Win Afghanistan, with no US Military Training nor Experience President Obama does not realize that without General McKiernan's Commander's Intent the General McKiernan War Plan to Win Afghanistan is USELESS.
President Obama appoints Registered Democrat General McChrystal to replace General McKiernan; President Obama as Commander In Chief Ordered General McChrystal to implement the Obama War Plan To Win Afghanistan. President Obama tells the US Public and US Congress, "Anything he (General McChrystal) needs he will get". General McChrystal requested 90,000 US Military, President Obama refuses again, and only sent 1/3rd, 30,000 US Military. President Obama as Commander In Chief Orders General McChrystal again to implement the Obama War Plan To Win Afghanistan. This turns into a disaster resulting in the Unnecessary Deaths of US Citizens of the US Military and Canadian Military Forces.
The President Obama Political Appointee US Civilians on General McChrystal's High Level Staff witnessed the many flag drapped coffins loaded unto aircraft. They start saying "This Admininstration Does Not Know What It Is Doing".
President Obama's Failed Foreign Policies lost the US Military Logistics Support Bases at Pakistan required to support the United Nation's Mission at Landlocked Afghanistan. Unsupportable UN, US, NATO Military Forces must leave US Ally Afghanistan by 2014.
That you yakfitguy and those that voted for your post are full of Demoncrap.
It was President Clinton's 1998 Operation Desert Fox that resulted in the US being Condemned as the Great Satan. In retailation Fundamentalist Islamic Osama Bin Laden starts his planning of the 9/11 2001 Attacks against the Great Satan of the same targets of his 1993 First World Trade Center Bombings.
It was because of President Clinton's Belief that the Cold War Era US Defense, US Intelligence Agencies, US Military were no longer needed that President Clinton as Commander In Chief Ordered the chopping of the US Defense Budget, resulting in the US Army Corps of Engineers not having the Funding for their Infrastructure Projects within the US like the Levees at New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina.
President Clinton's Gutting of the US Intelligence Agencies that left the US Blind and Deaf to the Events leading up to the 9/11 2001 Attacks per Bipartisan US Congressional 9/11 Commission Investigations, Findings, and Recommendations with former President Clinton saying "I'm a so sorry".
Due to President Clinton's Cut to the Bone Reduction In Forces of the US Military it took President Bush from 2001 till 2003 to rebuild the US Military to conduct President Clinton's US Policy Overthrow of President Hussein in accordance with President Clinton's US Law H.R.4655 as 2003 Operation Iraqis Freedom.
President Clinton eliminated those US Laws that made Illegal the Causes of previous Depressions which later resulted in the current $60 Trillion to $100 Trillion Global Economic Crisis consisting of the Mortgage Crisis, Wall Street Crisis, Financial Crisis, Banking Crisis, Credit Crisis, etc..
To make matters worse (Triggering the Global Economic Crisis) President Clinton demanded the Loans (Mortgages) to those with no viable means of repaying the Loans (Mortgages).
In return for "Donations" (Bribes) President Clinton gave China Most Favor Trade Nation Status. President Clinton was the Governor of Arkansas, Arkansas the Headquarters for Made In China Walmart.
While getting his penis sucked by the Jewish Lobby, Monika Lewinsky, President Clinton starts demanding War With Iraq, in his 1998 State of the Union Address, Weapons of Mass Destruction. And demands US Congress pass a US Law based on his President's Proposal to US Congress, and US Congress passes into US Law, President Clinton's US Law, H.R.4655, "Iraqis Liberation Act of 1998" Section 3 US Policy Overthrow of President Hussein, Section 2 Findings (Justifications) Weapons of Mass Destruction. Previously, 1981, US Ally Israel had attacked the Iraqis Nuclear Research Facility while we (US Military Training Teams) were at US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars, this put us at a risk to our lives.
Most of us are opposed to President Clinton's US Law and US Policy, as from experience of the US Military Training Teams to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars, we knew President Hussein was the Counterbalance to the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran using the Iraqis Oil Wealth (Not US Taxpayers Money) and the lives of the Iraqis Citizens of the Iraq Military (Not our US Military arses). Under threat of prosecution, imprisonment, detentions, relief from duty (or command), we go into Iraq in 1998 to Overthrow President Hussein, that failed because President Clinton's Gutting of the US Intelligence Agencies no longer funded the Local Iraqis Intelligence Assets, so the former local US Funded Iraqis Intelligence Assets to feed their families and survive became Iraqis Counter Intelligence Assets, Iraqis Military Intelligence, Iraqis Law Enforcement (Including Iraqis Secret Police), etc. and they were waiting for the US to attempt something.
Interest on the National Debt: President Clinton, $18.9 Billion. President Bush, $16.6 Billion. Enough with your baloney President Clinton Budget Surplus.
President Clinton (42) wrecked the vehicle then handed the keys to the wrecked vehicle to President Bush (43) and now President Obama (44) is wrecking the vehicle again (doing the same things as President Clinton (42), US Defense Budget Cuts, Gutting US Intelligence Agencies, Cut to the Bone Reduction In Forces of the US Military) and all the other unintended consequences (same President Clinton mistakes and expecting different results).
David, you stay up all night writing these in anticipation of the news. Jeez, dude, EDIT!
I must say, David, that's an extraordinary level of denial. So did little george do anything wrong at all in your world? I don't think most people see it that way. Are you really posting a youtube vid for reference?
You have nothing to add to the Adult Discussion of Newsvine's "Get Smarter Here" just your NO Experience Adolescent Opinions.
Defintion Fact - Experience or Observations.
Definition Opinion - a personal view, attitude, or appraisal without knowledge, thought, or reason.
And just like an Adolescent sticking your uneducated low information no experience opinion into something that was not even address to you Mike Kelley and was addressed to yakfitguy.
Nope Documented Historical Facts. Easily Googled.
He did things extremely WRONG, just not pertaining to this Adult Discussion (Topic).
Opinions NOT Facts. Translation proof of:
http://money.msn.com/investing/11-things-wrong-with-congress
Most are too lazy to read, so the unaltered videos including verbatim are valid references.
@ Mike Kelley..please don't interupt when David is schooling "yakfit guy". Yaki really needs it and now I see you do as well. I sure hope you read All of Davids post..he is smart. I kinda knew most of it..but just have never seen it all together in one place before...he's a great read and well worth the follow
why thomas you uneducated fool...come out to play didja?
David, did you really post that you get your information from 'Newsvine'? That explains everything.
There is no suprise about him stabing us in the BACK that's how these people are they smile in front of you while planing how they are going to knive you in the back when you're not looking.
""In fact those bombs, set off yesterday in the name of the Taliban, were in the service of Americans to keep foreigners longer in Afghanistan.""
This is what you get for helping most useless and corrupt Afghans and Pakis like Karzais, Gen Mush and others!
At least remember these when these very people or likes of them do chest beating for helping as Syrian rebels are doing these!
Learn to read. "Adult Discussion of Newsvine's "Get Smarter Here". "
Go attempt personal attacks somewhere else like on your personal blog.
I get my Facts from Experience and Observations, from being here. Definition of Fact - Experience or Observations.
Add the Documented Historical Facts to post#2.8, Written Proof that yakfitguy full of Demoncrap:
Transcript President Clinton's 1998 State of the Union Address:
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/01/27/sotu/transcripts/clinton/
President Clinton's US Law, H.R.4655 as 2003 Operation Iraqis Freedom:
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1057063/posts
2006 President Bush Amending the US No Assassination Policy, Authorization to Terminate Osama Bin Laden:
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/On+the+offensive%3a+assassination+policy+under+international+law.-a0110574418
Not out of context Full Unedited Transcript of President Bush's Mission Accomplished Speech:
http://articles.cnn.com/2003-05-01/us/bush.transcript_1_general-franks-major-combat-allies?_s=PM:US
Where are your Factually Fully Documented Historical Facts, Mike Kelley, yakfitguy, Thomas Blue, Max from Scottsdale.
I use the above Documented Historical Facts to reflect the things that I have Firsthand Experience (survived) with (Definintion Fact - Experience or Observations).
And what do you have Mike Kelley, yakfitguy, Thomas Blue, Max from Scottsdale Emotive Opinions (Definition Opinion - a personal view, attitude, or appraisal without knowledge, thought, or reason.), as attack the Facts that you don't like or attempt personal attacks to discredit the Facts you don't like.
Bernie: You can't correct the situation Obama was handed. There is and was no chance of winning there...EVER. Obama's strategy was to give it one more try and then leave if not successful. You can argue that one, but he did more in 4 years to try ti turn it around than Bush did.
If you have a better strategy for "winning" over there, I'm all ears.
David: Nice try at blaming the Dems, but they were part of the crew on that ship to nowhere, and though they share some blame, let's not forget who the captain was.
The Republicans can try to rewrite history all they want, but last time I checked it wasn't liberals calling other Americans "subversives who hate America" for not supporting the invasion of Iraq, nor did they ever say, "You, know I just don't think about Bin Laden much anymore."
Obama killed him. That's a fact for you.
Funny I did not see President Obama here when the SR Mission was launched. So much for your "fact".
President Obama just happened to be in Office when the previously Authorized by Standing Presidential Executive Order SR Mission (Locate and Capture) was launched.
I am so sick of this walking turd. We should throw his sorry butt in jail for corruption.
In just a simple phrase, Karzai is "Nucking Futs".
We put him there and we'll only take him out when we've used him up.
Karzai is obviously off his meds. Again.
Uh, huh, you believed that President Obama Political Appointee Holbrooke and Eikenberry "Karzai Corrupt"'; eventhough they were spending Billions USDs with nothing being built nor done.
After the Investigations of General McChrystal and General Petraeus as requested by President Karzai both of President Obama's Political Appointees Holbrooke and Eikenberry Tendered their Letters of Resignation.
Most probably agree, but then Biden becomes President, so nothing gained.
"He also alleged on Sunday that the Taliban and the United States had been holding talks in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar on a "daily basis," further fuelling his suggestion that Washington and the militants were working at common purposes."
US is talking with "good" Taliban for "peaceful" transition after NATO forces withdrawal in 2014.
If Suadis and Pakis are "strategic allies", anything is possible!
Gen Dostum of Northern Alliance, who helped NATO forces in 2001, became "human rights violator" later for NATO forces!!!
"My enemy's enemy is my friend... until they are not"
Having the Americans weaken the Taliban and get them to the bargaining table was to Karzai's advantage. Now that the Americans are going to leave, Karzai simply wants to make it appear to the Afghan people that he drove the American invaders out of his country.
When will this country learn that outside of Europe and Japan we are nobody's ally... our military strength and our money are a matter of convenience for many countries.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Can we leave a little sooner darling? I'm full.
when we leave his days will be numbered but he's to dumb to see it bye bye.
When we leave he will take all of the money we have given him over the years & move to this country & become one of the 1%. Our government will welcome him with open arms. The republican's may have put him there but the democrats have kept him there. The blame lies with all of congress not any one party.
This BETTER be bull@!$%#!
I don't know about you, but NOTHING, absolutely nothing would surprise me about Washington !!
I wish I could have been the 1st to comment, but being 2nd isn't bad. If there is truth to what Muhammed Karzai is saying - that the United States government is in collusion with the "terrorist" Taliban, just think what that says about Barack Hussein Obama. The President of the United States is sending young American men and women to fight to the death to defeat the evil terrorists, which include the Taliban, while he is secretly sitting down and smoking the peace pipe with them. It's a matter of who you believe, and I believe Mr. Karzai. He's got a lot more to lose than Obama. The worst that can happen to Obama is he can be accused of dealing with terrorists, and he can always say that's no worse than George Bush lying us into a war in Iraq. Karzai can lose his life. Assassinations in Afghanistan are not unusual.
Eddie the Kid, your comment
Refer to Comment #3.1 and if the shoe fits, on you, so be it.
Hey, Jack, you have a short memory. Don't forget that Obama's good friend in Chicago before he became President, was Bill Ayers, former 1960's anti-establishment terrorist. This guy Obama is the Manchurian candidate - a peace activist turned warmonger, a republican who rose through the ranks in the democratic party, a former Constitutional lawyer who believes the President of the United States can assassinate American citizens without trial. Obama is the Great Pretender.
EddieTheKid, you name is appropriate. Since when are the Taliban terrorists? The Taliban never attacked or invaded the U.S. They aren't the same thing as Al Qaeda, they have merely been defending their country from invaders (us) and our hand picked so called leader of Afghanistan. Read a little of the history of Afghanistan and grow up.
They're terrorists ever since their members started strapping bombs to their chests and blowing up their own civilians in the marketplace.
Eddie is a conspiracy theorist. Anything and everything to discredit a political opponent. It reminds me of the time that extremely foolish people started to claim that Bush had planted bombs in the twin towers because airplane + burning fuel wasn't enough. I'll never get over how stupid that was. Republicans have Birthers, we have Occupiers. Conspiracy theories cheapen everything.
Weren't we with the taliban before we were against them?
"a republican who rose through the ranks in the democratic party"
EddieTheKid, At the point you wrote this you lost all credibility mister.
Obama a secret Republican? You got to be kidding!
Which means nothing to the President Obama Uneducated Low or No Information Supporters.
"Libyan Rebels" as Supported by President Obama to Murder US Ally President Gaddaffi the Collaborator to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers, as Al Quada Saudi Arabia (AQ), Al Quada Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al Quada Syria (AQS), Al Quada Yemen (AQY), Hezbollah, Al Quada Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), etc.
President Obama recognizes the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group as the legitimate Government of Libya. The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group was previously killing US Military at Iraq.
President Obama supporting the "Syrian Rebels" as Al Quada Syria (AQS), Al Quada Iraq (AQI) and the Kurdistanis PKK, HPG, KGK.
President Obama supporting the "Egyptian Revolution" of the Fundamentalist Islamic Muslim Brotherhood as trained by the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran's Special Forces, Quds, at the Autonomous Kurdistanis Region that arrived at Alexandria Egypt as the previous "Peace Flotillas" against US Ally President Mubarak. Egypt Strategic to Attack US Ally Libya.
From the Article:
Way to go President Obama to foster trust of US Allies, sneak around everyone's backs dealing with Terrorists.
Since the (NO) Support to Terrorist Organizations, as upheld by the 2010 US Supreme Court Ruling. In that the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban Government provided Fundamentalist Islamic Osama Bin Laden and his Al Quada with Islamic Sanctuary.
Is that an uneducated post or an actual question.
During Operation Cyclone we carefully vetted everyone to prevent USSR Infiltrators, Pro USSR Afghan or Pakistanis Intelligence Assets, USSR Spetsnaz, etc.. (This is how we know Fundamentalist Islamic Osama Bin Laden was NOT here, being that tall he would have stuck out like a sore thumb; he was still at Saudi Arabia living with his Rich Relatives forming his Fundamentalist Islamic Al Quada and planning his 1993 First World Trade Center Bombings, to protest the US Military Bases at Saudi Arabia; and the US Ally Saudi Government Collaborating with the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers as against Islamic Laws.).
Then we trained, and lead the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen into Asymmetric Warfare Combat against the USSR 40th Army Occupation. After the defeat of the USSR 40th Army Occupation, the US Abandoned US Ally 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen instead of helping them rebuild 20th Century Afghanistan.
"We F**ked up the Endgame" - Senator Charles Wilson.
The 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban with the full support of the USSR Backed Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran massacred the US Ally 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen. Then the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban massacred any suspected Collaborators to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers as per Islamic Laws "Collaborators to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers Die a Horrible Murdering to Dwell in that Firey Place". Millions of Afghan Civilians are massacred, as filmed by the only News Agency allowed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, USSR Tass News Agency. The Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban then destroyed anything that was "Western", "Modern", "Non Islamic", the lights literally go out at Afghanistan as the Power Stations, some of the hydroelectric dams, etc. were destroyed. The Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban grab Taoists and poured gasoline on them and lighted them on fire "to help them" (hint Buddists burn themselves to death, not Taoists), then they dynamited the Centuries old Great Buddhas.
You want a hint were most of the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban came from. Many were experienced Combat Veterans of the Iran Iraq Wars, fighting on the side of the USSR Backed Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran.
Interview of McCullough Nov. 11, 2012. Morley Safer CBS News; McCullough: "We are raising children in America today who are by and large historically illiterate."
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.- George Santayana
Those who do not know history's mistakes are doomed to repeat them. - Sir Edmund Burke
History Afghanistan:
Population of Afghanistan: 1/3rd Pro USSR, 1/3rd Pro US, 1/3rd Neutral.
From the 1950s till 1979 the US Built up US Ally Afghanistan as a 20th Century Nation, "Little America".
The 1/3rd of Pro USSR Afghans invited the USSR to come into Afghanistan to make Afghanistan Pro USSR. The USSR sent the USSR 40th Army. The 1/3rd Pro US Afghans resisted. The USSR 40th Army starts their USSR Total Conventional Warfare of Carpet Bombings, Chemical Warfare, Tank Formations wiping out entire Towns and Villages, Millions of Area Denial Weapons (Landmines), massacres of any Afghans did not matter if they were Pro US, Pro USSR, or Neutral, the 1/3rd Pro US and the 1/3rd Neutral Afghans flee into the Afghan Mountains (Pamir, 2/3rds of Afghanistan is mountains) many get to the Afghan Refugee Camps at Pakistan. The 1/3rd Pro USSR Afghans flee to the USSR Back Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran and are given Islamic Sanctuary, as an obligation to their hosts the 1/3rd Pro USSR Afghans fight in the Iran Iraq Wars on the side of the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, after years of living at the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran many of the 1/3rd of the Pro USSR Afghans convert to Fundamentalist Islam.
Senator Charles Wilson, Democrat, Texas demands the US get involved with Afghanistan. At the same time US Military Training Teams are already at US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars, we are rotated to Operation Cyclone, after the defeat of the USSR 40th Army Occupation the US Abandoned the 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen.
The 1980s Pro US Afghan Muhajeen had worn out weapons, little ammunition, lost many of their Combatants and without the support of the US most Afghans start becoming disenchanted with the US promises to US Ally Afghanistan.
The 1/3rd of Pro USSR Afghans return from Islamic Sanctuary at the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran, they become the 1990s Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban.
Do not continue to repeat the same uneducated posts, Greg-2505403, now that you have been told the Facts (Definition Fact - Experience or Observations) from firsthand experience (survival) Operation Cyclone and the US Military Training Teams to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars.
Defintion Opinion - a personal view, attitude, or appraisal without knowledge, thought, or reason.
Afghan leader alleges US, Taliban are colluding.....f#%k this guy.....I volunteer to shoot an effing hole in his "made rich by Americans" forehead"....!! He wasn't $@!$%# before we put him in power, he won't be $hit after we give his a$$ up to our friends the Taliban. Just another example of camel humpers thinking they are 'all that'......this dude wouldn't be $hit if it weren't for us. Fine, let's get the eff outta there and see how long this piece of crap lasts.....I bet less than a month......... and goodbye a$$ wipe..!!
GET US OUT! The Afghans don't want us there. What more do you want to hear Washington? Let them deal with THEIR OWN problems. It's not as if we don't have enough problems of our own to deal with. GET US OUT!
When we built the submarine base in Holy Loch, Scotland, the locals did want us there and there were protests against the Americans and then we moved out and they didn't want to see us go and their local economy took a serious beating.
The Philippine government railed against the U.S., until they realized we were really going to leave (helped by Mt. Pinatubo) and then they wanted us to stay and their economy took a beating.
Puerto Rico wanted us off of Vieques, the only reason for the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. They were even told that if Vieques were closed we would have no reason to stay. Vieques closed and we started packing up the base and there were law suits to try to keep us there. Again, the economy took a real beating.
Karzai doesn't have to worry about the economy as much as he does the Taliban but, he had best be really careful or he just might get what he is asking for. If the U.S. pulls out, he won't last a year.
It's one thing to say you want us out but to suggest we are torturing and abusing the locals and that we are colluding with the enemy is way beyond the line. Perhaps we should pack up and, since we won't be worried about propping up the government, right before we pull out, we spray every poppy field in the country with herbicide.
we told the world this Karzai dick was in fact,...A DICK! Corrupt and now aims to
accuse the ones that have helped him for years. Lesson learned about this DICK.
They didn't ask us to be there, we "invaded" and they will be thrilled when we are gone.
We were there to help ourselves.
Hey Debi, If they hadn't let Bin Laden use their country for a training camp, we wouldn't be there now would we? WTF do they have we want? Frankly, the next time we have to go in there, it should be from the air with no warning, reduce the country to glass so they can't grow their drugs to be sold. Not one more American life should be wasted on the POS country.
Rich:
Are you aware how many times over the years special forces had bin Laden in their crosshairs and were ordered to stand down? Bin Laden was just the scapegoat. So if it wasn't really bin Laden we were after, you have to ask yourself the question, what was?
How many times Debi?
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=527_1307568510
CIA’s Bin Laden Hunter Ordered to Stand Down 10 Times
Written by Alex Newman
Michael Scheuer, the former chief of the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA's) Osama bin Laden unit, told the U.K. Daily Telegraph in a recent interview he was prevented from capturing or killing the terrorist by his superiors on at least 10 separate occasions.
The 22-year CIA veteran-turned-whistle=blower resigned from the agency in 2004, disgusted by the government’s lies surrounding the terror war. And he’s been embarrassing the U.S. establishment ever since.
In 1995, Scheuer was selected to lead the spy agency’s bin Laden efforts. By then the militant Islamist was exiled in Sudan after angering Saudi authorities. Bin Laden was running several businesses in the African nation that Scheuer suggested disrupting. “We formulated operations and submitted them for approval but they would not approve any of them,” the ex-CIA official told the Daily Telegraph. “If we had been able to deal a serious economic blow it could have been a show-stopper.”
The next year, bin Laden declared war on the American government. And in 1997, when bin Laden was again living in Afghanistan, Scheuer said his team groomed a band of Afghans to capture the suspected terror boss. There were at least two “clear opportunities” to bring down bin Laden by the middle of 1998, according to Scheuer. But in both cases, he said, CIA bosses refused to proceed.
Then, in August of that year, bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network bombed two American embassies in Africa. Bin Laden said the embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, was targeted for serving as a U.S. intelligence hub for the CIA. The attacks killed numerous U.S. diplomats and at least two CIA agents, according to the Associated Press.
Scheuer told the Telegraph that following the missed opportunities to kill or capture bin Laden in 1998, there were at least eight other chances to get the terror mastermind. By that point, bin Laden was supposedly among the U.S. government’s most wanted criminals. But for some unknown reason, senior officials refused to authorize his capture or assassination.
“One 50-cent round could have put us all out of our agony,” Scheuer explained. But that didn’t happen, as high-level authorities consistently ordered the CIA unit not to stop bin Laden.
In 1999, Scheuer told the paper that he sent an angry letter to higher-ups demanding to know why his men were risking their lives for somebody the U.S. government did not seem to want stopped. “I don’t know what you are doing when you talk to the President but he will not get a better opportunity than this,” Scheuer explained to his superiors.
Eventually, the bin Laden-unit chief, Scheuer, was dismissed from his position before being reinstated after the September 11 attacks. A few months after that, the U.S. government and its allies had bin Laden surrounded in the mountains of Tora Bora in Afghanistan. But yet again, high-level officials let him escape.
A Senate investigation from 2009 explained some of the details in its summary. With bin Laden trapped, “calls for reinforcements to launch an assault were rejected. Requests were also turned down for U.S. troops to block the mountain paths leading to sanctuary a few miles away in Pakistan,” the document states. “The vast array of American military power … was kept on the sidelines.”
And according to the report, the decision not to capture or assassinate bin Laden, or at least cut off his escape route, was made by then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his top commander, Gen. Tommy Franks. Despite subsequent Bush administration protestations to the contrary, “the review of existing literature, unclassified government records and interviews with central participants underlying this report removes any lingering doubts and makes it clear that Osama bin Laden was within our grasp at Tora Bora,” the Senate report concluded.
More than a few other reported examples of bin Laden being deliberately allowed to escape by senior officials in the United States and other governments have surfaced over the last decade. But according to the current version of President Obama’s ever-changing narrative, the terror leader was finally shot through the head by U.S. forces after being found unarmed at a hideout in Pakistan. His body was then supposedly dumped in the ocean for unknown reasons.
But questions continue to plague the government on almost every front. Since resigning over government lies, Scheuer in particular has been a persistent thorn in the side of American officials. He has published several widely acclaimed books criticizing U.S. policies including Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror and Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq. And he regularly makes inflammatory statements in media appearances and speeches, too.
Last month, speaking in the U.K., Scheuer said American and British officials including Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron “don’t have a clue” about the terror war or what is going on in the West. “The main recruitment sergeant for al Qaeda is Barack Obama,” he charged.
And according to Scheuer it has nothing to do with America‘s rapidly vanishing freedoms, as the government continues to claim. “We are being attacked in the West and we will continue to be attacked in the West as long as we are in Afghanistan, as long as we support the Israelis, as long as we protect the Saudi police state,” Scheuer told the crowd. “They can’t cope with the fact that it’s nothing to do with the way we live. It doesn’t have anything to do with elections or democracy or liberty.” He asserted that the West was being attacked for “supporting fascism across the Middle East,” not so-called “gender equality” or any such notions.
In the recent past, Scheuer also accused the U.S. government’s 9/11 Commission of deliberately hiding the truth about the attacks. “It was a whitewash and a lie from top to bottom,” he told Fox News’ Judge Andrew Napolitano.
Numerous lawmakers and high-level officials have also made various allegations about why it took the government 10 years to get bin Laden. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), for example, accused then-President George W. Bush of “intentionally” allowing bin Laden to elude capture to justify the invasion of Iraq.
As The New American reported recently, bin Laden, his al-Qaeda network and other Islamic extremists have indeed enjoyed a sort love-hate relationship with the American government for decades. Even now, the Obama administration and the United Nations are backing an insurgency in Libya against its former ally, dictator Moammar Gadhafi, where certain leadership elements are known to be affiliated directly with al-Qaeda and related groups.
Why high-ranking officials in the U.S. government would have let bin Laden escape on so many occasions is certainly a matter that should be investigated by the press and authorities. Speculation has been running rampant for years. But unfortunately for Americans, analysts don’t expect serious inquiries to happen any time soon.
for US inteligency Sadam and Osama are necessary evil for justification of wars and expend (and made) money from them, is money game and they made us a fools, CIA created Al Qaida (God create Satan ?) I smell for many years the government lie us in all fronts, finaly this men show the naked true
Word D Jahns....
LMAO... what's the odds that this guy does not live much longer?
Looks like we should be giving Karzai a healthy dose of cancer just like we did with Chavez. We need to get out of this 4th century dictatorship. Karzai will likely last about 48 hours after the U S leaves before someone takes him out and to that we say good riddence. He has built a fortune with U S taxpayer dollars and he still hates America. What do we think we're doing! Buying friends NEVER works.
aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh! woooowwww.......these sand spooks would still be wiping there asses with there left hands if we didnt show them a crapper.hopefully obama can make believe and make this guy go to wherever bin laden is.probably in miami at the fountain blue looking like snoop dog around the pool.doesnt matter what we do for these scumbags they all ingreds.
roflol - how many $trillions spent on 'changing' Afghan? yes, let's spend another $T for another regime change......
If all this is true, then this is a slap in the face of the American service men and women who served and or died in Afghanistan. I find it hard to believe unless it has to do with the billions and billions of dollars in drug money associated with Afghanistan, their number one industry...
Dear Mr. Karzai it appears you have been dipping into the cool aid again. It is not the coalition
forces that are colluding with the Taliban; It’s your own Afghani security forces that you should worry about.
I hope you have been stuffing money into your Swiss Bank account because when the coalition forces do leave, and they will, it wont be safe for you to stay.
A couple of years ago, it was published that Karzai purchased a home worth about $100 million in Qatar on the manmade island shaped like a palm tree. His retiremnt plans are in order and will be fullfilled and he will enjoy retirement for many, many years. Several Iraqi's have done the exact same thing. This war is not meant to be won, or it would have already after 12 years with the worlds most advanced powerful USA military. It's about making money. China was awarded the mining rights to the copper in Afghanistan, much to the phoney dismay of the American politicians.
What is our STUPID-COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF doing this time???????????
Giving a non US citizen, who claims to be a freedom fighter at war with us, the legal status of a US citizen!!!!!!
For months Herr Obama hemmed, hawed and danced around the fact that HE thought He had the right to bomb American on our own soil, WITHOUT due process***See the 5th admendment*** of law. But now without any thought about the fact that NON-AMERICAN'S, who have killed our people and are NOT granted due process will have just that!!!
What a fked up arsedbackwards we now have under this Dictator! Yes, he gave HIS I am not a dictator speech, just like Tricky-Dick gave his I am not a crook speech. But they we BOTH lying to us!!!!!!
And how about Obama and the state department NOT allowing the congress to interview the survivors of Benghazi???????? Transperancy, transperancy, transperancy!!!!!! Yeah Herr Obama, you are the most transperant item ahead, except for lead lined coffins!!!!!!!!!!!
Willbfree what does your screen name signify? Free of any hint of intelligence?
You're nothing for a fox/limbaugh ewe.
This is what a leader of a Muslim country that does drugs sounds like.
do u mean obama or karezi and there both presidents?
Phoque, I didn't even read the article. Karzai has flipped his lid.
Yes, indeed, Hamid ... check your meds!
getting out is what everyone wants and for just cause but remember by being there the troops,black ops corp has got more taliban and papers and computers to keep 9/11s from happening again.knowing there drones flying around sort of says something is up-dont you think?
Unfortunately, a 9mm through the head of this idiot would be a waste of good ammunition. Nothing in there to hit.
The idot has gone power crazy already. We put him in power and someday we will have to take him out.
How about we just leave now? They don't want us there. We can't afford it. Why are we wasting American lives for that hell hole of a country?
graybeard we're wasting lives and money because Bechtel wants to build an oil pipeline through Afghanistan.
Rick, the problem is, most Americans are brainwashed into thinking this war is about democracy & 9/11.
We are puppets dogs from the masters in the shadows, in especial the men in uniform, the more stupids