Clinton Makes Surprise Afghan Visit

Under pressure, Karzai becomes increasingly erratic

(NEWSER) - Hamid Karzai has told Afghan lawmakers he will join the Taliban if his western backers kept pushing him to reform. The legislators said the Afghan president's comments shouldn't be taken at face value—he was pandering to pro-Taliban members of parliament, and he seems unconcerned about losing western support. The remarks are characteristic of his increasingly erratic behavior as he struggles to maintain his grip on power. More»

Wants Karzai government to shape up first

(NEWSER) - The US ambassador to Afghanistan—a former general who served there as recently as 2007—is against increasing troop levels until the Afghan government gets its act together. In classified cables ahead of President Obama’s deliberations on a surge, Karl Eikenberry cites rampant corruption and mismanagement in Hamid Karzai’s administration. His dissent isn’t sitting well with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan and an ardent proponent of increasing troop levels, the Washington Post reports. More»

Old rivals appear to forge durable alliance

(NEWSER) - Hillary Clinton was instrumental in convincing Afghan President Hamid Karzai to accept a runoff election—but it was what she didn’t do that mattered most. She didn’t interfere with erstwhile rival John Kerry’s mission. In fact, sources say, Clinton facilitated the meeting between Kerry and Karzai and then stepped away. “We had a terrific working relationship,” Kerry tells Politico. “I reached out to her, she gave me her confidence, she was completely supportive.” More»

(AP) - Hamid Karzai intends to announce tomorrow how he will "set the stage" for resolving the country's postelection political crisis, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today. She wouldn't say whether the Afghan president has decided to accept the findings of a UN-backed fraud investigation that threw out nearly a third of Karzai's ballots from the disputed August election and set the stage for a runoff. More»

Gunfire heard as thousands take to streets in Kabul

(NEWSER) - Protesters are rallying once again to decry the burning of Korans at Bagram, with more shouts of "death to America"—and deaths—throughout the country. The New York Times reports that gunfire was audible as demonstrators assembled at a Kabul mosque following Friday prayers. Another 4,000 people carrying sticks and rocks moved toward the center of the city; some waved Taliban flags and had a jihadist slogan written on their clothes: "I sacrifice myself." More»