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NEWS ABOUT: Hamid Karzai

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France: No More Combat Troops for Afghanistan

Minister says France will consider sending extra trainers

(Newser) - The 7,000 reinforcements NATO has promised to send to Afghanistan along with the American surge won't be coming from France. French officials have ruled out sending more combat troops to the country but will consider sending more trainers for Afghanistan's army and police, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told CNN... More »

World Powers Mull Afghan Exit

But Hamid Karzai thinks it'll be a while before his country's ready

(Newser) - Delegates from about 70 nations met in London today to draft an exit strategy for the Afghanistan conflict, which, consensus has it, would involve handing security responsibilities over to local forces and seducing Taliban fighters with jobs and homes. In attendance were everyone from Hillary Clinton to Ban Ki-Moon to... More »

Afghanistan Postpones May Elections

Panel pushes vote to Sept., cites need for reform, lack of funds

(AP) - Afghanistan's independent election commission has confirmed it is postponing parliamentary elections until the fall due to a lack of funding, security concerns, and logistical challenges. Commissioner Fazel Ahmed Manawi also told reporters today the delay will allow time for electoral reforms—a move likely to please Western countries pressing for... More »

Stunning Kabul Attack Shows Taliban Moving Into Cities

'Nobody is ready to make any kind of deal'

(Newser) - Yesterday's militant assault in the heart of Kabul succeeded not only in paralyzing the city for hours—it also exposed the vulnerability of the US-backed Afghan government, demonstrated the resilience of the Taliban, and left the usually quiet city with a lingering sense of fear. The morning rush-hour attack offered... More »

Gun Battle Erupts Near Afghan Prez Palace

Explosionw rock ministries, luxury hotel in central Kabul

(Newser) - A gun battle has erupted near Afghanistan's presidential palace between national security forces and the Taliban shortly after explosions rocked the central Kabul neighborhood. A huge plume of smoke was rising from the area near the Afghanistan Central Bank, government ministries and a luxury hotel popular with westerners, reports the... More »

Afghan Lawmakers Diss Karzai on Cabinet—Again

For the second week in a row, many of his picks are rejected

(AP) - Afghanistan's parliament today rejected more than half of President Karzai's second list of Cabinet nominees—including two of three women—dealing him a fresh political blow as his government struggles to face the growing Taliban threat. Two weeks ago, parliament rejected 70% of Karzai's picks. The rejections leave his government... More »

Karzai Cabinet Picks Rejected for 2nd Time

Weak Afghan president still can't put together a government

(Newser) - The Afghan parliament rejected the majority of Hamid Karzai's second slate of cabinet choices today—10 of 17—in another vote of no confidence for the beleaguered Afghan president 2 weeks after the first set was rejected. This time he managed to get a foreign minister and a justice minister... More »

Karzai Presents New List of Cabinet Nominees

Announces 15 candidates to replaces those rejected the first time

(AP) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai presented a second slate of nominees to fill his Cabinet today after parliament rejected 70% of his first picks. Second Vice President Karim Khalili announced 16 ministerial candidates, including 15 to replace those rejected the first time. Some political analysts had expected Karzai to resubmit the... More »

Afghan Parliament Rejects Karzai Cabinet

In big rebuke, it blocks 17 of 24 names

(AP) - Afghanistan's parliament dealt a stinging rebuke to President Hamid Karzai today by rejecting 70% of his nominees for a new cabinet. The voting ended with the rejection of 17 of 24 nominees, including a powerful regional warlord. "I think, unfortunately, that the criteria were either ethnicity or bribery or... More »

American UN Envoy Plotted to Oust Karzai

Scheme to force out Afghan president as fraud surfaced

(Newser) - The No. 2 United Nations official in Afghanistan sought to replace Hamid Karzai with a more Western-friendly figure as widespread election fraud surfaced earlier this year, officials say. The top UN official in Kabul, Kai Eide, says Peter Galbraith approached him with a plan to enlist Joe Biden to help... More »

Cocky Karzai Calls Gates' Bluff

Defense sec gets dissed by Afghanistan, Iraq 'puppets': Dowd

(Newser) - Robert Gates may be the man "running the world's best military," a force not inconsequential to stability in Afghanistan these days, but Hamid Karzai thumbed his nose at the defense secretary on his recent visit. "Puppets just aren’t what they used to be," notes Maureen... More »

Gates, in Kabul, Contradicts Karzai's Timetable

'We're in this thing to win,' he tells reporters

(Newser) - Robert Gates and Hamid Karzai seemed to contradict each other at a press conference in Kabul today, with Gates saying the US commitment in Afghanistan isn’t open ended, and Karzai saying it will be at least 5 years before Afghanistan is ready for a US withdrawal. Gates arrived in... More »

Gates: 'Years' Since Last bin Laden Intel

White House pushes Afghan policy on Sunday circuit

(Newser) - The US hasn't had credible intelligence on Osama bin Laden's whereabouts in "years," Defense Secretary Robert Gates admitted to ABC's George Stephanopoulos today. "We don’t know for a fact where Osama bin Laden is," the defense secretary said. "If we did, we’d go... More »

Karzai: I'd Meet With the Taliban

Al-Qaeda not welcome, but not all Taliban members are terrorists, he says

(AP) - Just two days after President Obama announced a 30,000 surge in troops for Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai reiterated his desire to make peace with the Taliban. In an interview with the AP today, the Afghan president said he would do "whatever it takes" to bring peace, including meeting with... More »

Obama Gambles on Dubious Afghan Allies

Surge relies on corrupt Karzai government, poorly-trained military

(Newser) - By announcing an 18-month timetable, Barack Obama has thrown down the gauntlet for an Afghan government and military that have so far proven unreliable. Hamid Karzai’s government is considered among the world’s most corrupt, but Obama seems to be betting that the withdrawal timetable will encourage it to... More »

Obama Talks Afghan Strategy With Karzai

Morning videoconference pleased Afghan president, sources say

(AP) - President Obama spent an hour on the phone with Hamid Karzi this morning to discuss the new US policy for Afghanistan, a spokesman for the presidential palace reports. A close confidant of Karzai's who was with the Afghan president following the call said Karzai was happy with the videoconference conversation... More »

Roadside Bomb Strikes Afghan Gov's Convoy

Kandahar official survives attack on holiest Muslim holiday

(Newser) - The governor of Kandahar narrowly escaped death today when a roadside bomb exploded underneath his convoy. Turyalai Wesa was on his way to prayers on the first day of Eid al-Adha, the holiest holiday on the Muslim calendar. Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban, a violent Afghan hotspot, and... More »

US, Afghans Recruit Taliban With Jobs

Drive will be similar to the 'Sons of Iraq' program

(Newser) - Afghanistan has launched an initiative to convert Taliban foot soldiers with the promise of jobs and protection. Backed by the US military, the plan is modeled on its “Sons of Iraq” program; Stanley McChrystal even lured a key architect of that program out of retirement to help with it.... More »

Karzai Sworn In, Vows to Fight Corruption

Afghan prez promises to take over country's security in 5 years

(Newser) - Hamid Karzai vowed to fight corruption today after he was sworn in to a second 5-year term as president of Afghanistan. Karzai, whose election victory was tainted by widespread allegations of vote-rigging, said his government would learn from "our mistakes and shortcomings of the last eight years." The... More »

Clinton Makes Surprise Afghan Visit

Secretary arrives amid heightened security, meets with McChrystal

(AP) - Hillary Clinton made an unexpected appearance in Afghanistan today to attend the inauguration of President Hamid Karzai and meet with Gen. Stanley McChrystal. It's Clinton's first trip to Afghanistan since becoming secretary of state. Clinton called the visit "a specific opportunity for everyone to take stock of where we... More »

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