Karzai’s anti-US comments win little support

US senators maintain recent statements are an insult to soldiers fighting in the country.

ISLAMABAD:

Recent comments and policy statements by Afghan President Hamid Karzai are widely viewed as an attempt to flex his political muscle, considering he only has a year left in his term.

Karzai’s remarks on the United States colluding with the Taliban, his order to withdraw foreign troops from Wardak province, and his demand to hand over the US-controlled detention centre at Bagram Airbase point to his politicking.

The Afghan president has been getting increasingly frustrated because it has been weeks since his February 24 deadline expired to withdraw US Special Forces operational in Wardak, which adjoins Kabul. This deadline came following civilian complaints that US forces had killed innocent people and that troops may have been involved in torturing Afghans in the area.

Though the US did not accept repeated calls for handing over the prison at Bagram, commander of coalition forces General Dunford told Karzai this week that the process of handing over the prison to Afghan forces will be completed and done in a manner which does not threaten Afghanistan’s internal sovereignty.



Karzai surprised many observers on Wednesday after he accused the US of colluding with the Taliban, a claim dismissed as false by both Washington and the Taliban. Blasting away the Taliban, Karzai accused them of “eating chocolate and drinking tea and coffee with foreigners in Paris, while killing women and children in Afghanistan.”

Karzai’s anti-US rhetoric and harsh statement forced the Nato commander in Afghanistan to declare a state of high alert, fearing green-on-blue attacks.

Realising the possible repercussion of his statements, Karzai on Thursday tried to tone down the criticism, asserting his remarks aired on state television did not mean to “spoil relations” between Afghanistan and the US. Instead, Karzai claimed he wanted to “correct” them rather than cause damage.

He also thanked America for its support and assistance to the Afghan people and said he will respect US interests in Afghanistan and the region.

Karzai has also lambasted Pakistani scholar Allama Tahir Ashrafi for his remarks justifying suicide attacks in the war-torn country and for boycotting the joint conference of religious scholars from Afghanistan and Pakistan, which was scheduled to be held in Kabul earlier in March.

Afghan analysts say the president’s recent charade of politicking is an attempt to convince Afghans he is not an American stooge. But he may not succeed in changing this impression, they say.

“The whole world knows it was the Americans and their Western allies who installed Karzai and Karzai cannot deny this fact,” former Afghan defence minister Shahnawaz Tanai told The Express Tribune on Friday. “Karzai is now part of this history and the people in Afghanistan are aware he was sponsored by the Americans. Karzai cannot clean himself with anti-US remarks.”

Some American senators called President Karzai a nutty, bizarre, offensive and disrespectful man, adding his recent remarks were considered as an insult to American soldiers fighting in Afghanistan.

In addition to the US reaction, the Taliban also snubbed Karzai’s claims of militants holding secret talks with Americans in Qatar.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Karzai is issuing such statements because of mounting pressure ahead of the withdrawal of foreign troops. “We think Karzai is losing his senses as the weather is changing in Afghanistan,” Mujahid told The Express Tribune via phone.

Karzai’s strong sentiments have sparked heated debates in Afghan media and Afghans seem divided at this junction. Many are concerned the on-going rift could create another crisis in the country. Afghan opposition parties also criticised the president over his allegations against Americans and the Taliban, saying Karzai is trying to score points for his personal political objectives. Opposition parties alleged Karzai wants to play another game with the Afghan people since the elections are due shortly.

Mandegar, an Afghan daily, while referring to Karzai said in its editorial: “a guilty person blames another guilty one.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2013.