Quote Originally Posted by Steve the Planner View Post
I suspect the answer is the regular subterfuge.

Public pronouncements of our support, but continued efforts to divert things around him and others, and to those that are supportive (per West's article).

The more noise in support, the less dollars in reality.

I think Dr. Abdullah's comments have to be read in his, and not out context.

His Dad was a Senator, he grew up with a great reverence for the parlimentary institutions, and a deep and long struggle to re-establish it. We get lots of dope and speculation on positions and interests in the South and East, but not much perspective on the other folks (the ones that are not threats).

He is reported to be a US favorite, but I don't think he wants to go in as a US lackey under any circumstance, nor be one. In reality, he may be a lot harder, for example, on civilian deaths than Karzai, and much more directive of US/Int'l Aid, presently running everywhere but in a straight line.

I find his genuine interest to be legit. He does not want to be put in office by the Americans, and especially not in violation of the Constitution. Down the road, his position may be much more important to him and Afghanistan, and that's where his head and heart is.

Personally, I believe that the integrity of the Afghan institutions are supported better if we do not pick, choose and kick-out. But, as you say, we really do control most of the money, and that does give the right to direct how it is spent---even with Abdullah or anyone.

Right now, it looks like a return to the Hall of Mirrors strategy. Lots of whispers and dodges---things said but not followed up with actions, and things done with saying.

Business as usual.
Karzai himself doesn't respect the Afghan institutions, either formal or informal.
If he was conducting himself in a manner that the Afghan people supported (but we did not) I would support him. However, his appointment of governors has not been for the benefit of the provisional populations, but rather his own internal power struggles. The last election turn out was dismal not because of security, but because the Afghan's themselves have no faith in the IGoA. Karzai is undermining everything the US has tried to do and is trying to do there and not for the long-term benefit of the country of Afghanistan.

The facts are the longer karzai has been in power, the worse things have gotten in afghanistan. It is supremely arrogant to think the IGoA has no influence on the security situation in the country.
We have built his Army, we have built his Police we have given him damn near everything he has ever asked for, yet our soldiers are dying in greater numbers while the ANA sit on their FOBs.
Iraq is a convient excuse, but that is all it is. Afghanistan failed because we put the wrong government with the wrong leader in charge and let is fester and rot. And now instead of anti-biotics to fix it, we need to chop the damn leg off and no one is willing to do it. Better hurry up, before the whole damn organism dies.