[Peace-discuss] Carpe (Ngo Dinh) Diem

[C. G. Estabrook]

[The Afghan parliament's recent rejection of Karzai's choices for ministers is
interpreted as the US insisting on whom it wants to run Afghanistan; formerly
our man in Kabul, Karzai is fighting marginalization - a dangerous position for
a US client. He shouldn't start his car himself. More important, his
tergiversation indicates the real view of the US in Afghanistan.  --CGE]


	Karzai: I don't need foreign forces in Afghanistan
	Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:16:03 GMT

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai says he does not need anymore 'the favor'
of the US-led foreign forces in his war-weary country.

"If these forces are coming only to chase the Taliban at the cost of Afghan
civilians, of course that's not going to produce any good consequences for us,"
Karzai said in an interview with al-Jazeera on Friday.

The Afghan president also took a swipe at coalition forces present in his
country for their failure to restore security in the war-ravaged country.

“With the international community, I don't have to have their favor. They are
here for a purpose, which is the fight on terror, and we are working with them
for a purpose, which is the stability and safety of Afghanistan, so we have a
common purpose,” he said adding "In terms of security we have failed."

He went on to add that the “legitimacy” of his government must be given by “the
Afghan people.”

"I have to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people, I have to be
legitimate and have the trust of the Afghan people if I am to be a good president."

The president's remarks come after thousands of Afghan people took to the
streets to protest the rising civilian death toll by the US-led forces in the
country.

Afghans have held several anti-occupation demonstrations in different cities in
the past month to show their anger towards the issue. Protesters in Kabul and
several other major cities have burned effigies of US President Barack Obama.

JR/DT


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