A.Rafay
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Annoys UK; says Helmand security was better before British troops were deployed; blames Pakistan for creating instability and lawlessness in Afghanistan
LONDON: Despite the high sounding joint statement issued after the trilateral talks in London, Afghan President Hamid Karzai was busy attacking Pakistan albeit indirectly in interviews given before the summit as well as in private conversations even after the summit.
In the most high profile interview to The Guardian and ITV, Karzai - whose decade long rule in Afghanistan has become a byword for corruption, nepotism and lawlessness - suggested Pakistan was preventing the Taliban from entering into peace talks with his government, even though the fact is that the Taliban leadership has long made it clear they would not talk to a puppet regime.
Karzai, who was installed by the western countries after the 9/11 attacks, is of Pashtun extraction but he is widely hated by Pashtuns, who form more than 65 percent of the Afghan population and who form the bedrock of Taliban support, who have successfully exploited the fact that he has the backing of the Nato countries for Afghanistans occupation but more than that Pashtuns blame Karzai for the deaths of tens of thousands of poor Afghans, mainly Pashtuns.
Although, Karzai gushed about brother Pakistan standing next to British Prime Minister David Cameron and President Asif Ali Zardari but his words sounded hollow and devoid of any substance because only a few hours earlier Karzai took several swipes at Pakistan during his interview with the Guardian and ITN.
Clearly desperate to hide his own failure and anxious to shift the blame to anyone else but himself, Karzai held Pakistan responsible for creating trouble in his war-ravaged country.
He made a mockery of claims of better relations between Kabul and Islamabad when he referred to external elements involved in creating instability and lawlessness in Afghanistan. There will not be peace in Afghanistan by having an agreement only between us and the Afghan Taliban. Peace will only come when the external elements involved in creating instability and fighting, or lawlessness in Afghanistan, are involved in talks, he said.
At another point in the interview, Karzai blamed external forces acting in the name of the Taliban for impeding the peace process. It is widely understood that Karzai was pointing the finger at Pakistan.
Karzai also annoyed the British military by saying that Helmand situation and security was better before British troops were deployed there in 2006. He added that the drawdown of Western troops appeared to have been because Western leaders had realised that they were fighting in the wrong place.
He said that he expected the departure of British troops to lead to a reduction in violence. His comments have deeply upset British military commanders who have lobbied hard in recent years to keep troops in Afghanistan despite austerity cuts, in the hope of securing some areas and bringing peace.
At several places in the interview, Karzai blamed everyone else but himself for the civil-war like situation in his country, where he has failed to deliver the promised peace and stability. In fact, under him, a large swathe of the country is under Taliban control and his leadership has been so weak that there is little doubt left in anyones mind that Taliban will make a comeback once the Nato troops leave the country. He said: Its the external factors that will determine the extent of progress and stability or the lack of it.
Karzai, who until recently has been a strong advocate for the prolonged stay of western troops, surprisingly said that withdrawal of occupation troops will be good for us because after all its our country, and we have to protect it and provide for it. Given the help, well be happier and better able to do it. But whether Karzai will have any role in future Afghanistan is anyones guess as it looks certain that he will be dumped by his masters in not too distant future because of his failure to deliver on the promises he made.
When asked that Taliban want to see him dead and will not hold reconciliation talks with him, Karzai claimed that thousands of Taliban and Taliban leaders are in contact with us but again remembered to take a swipe by suggesting that the name of Taliban is being used by external elements and statements denouncing him are not factually Taliban statements.
He claimed that violence will reduce when foreign troops leave as Afghan Taliban will have a grievance removed but from the external forces acting in the name of the Taliban, we will have to wait and see.
Karzai also complained in the interview that Pakistan was denying Afghanistan a platform to stand on, for a strategic partnership between Afghanistan and Pakistan to take place.
So Pakistan indeed should, or must, find it absolutely necessary for survival, to begin to address the question of extremism and terrorism and to begin to improve relations with Afghanistan, as two sovereign, good neighbourly countries, said Karzai.
Karzai makes mockery of trilateral summit by attacking Pakistan - thenews.com.pk
LONDON: Despite the high sounding joint statement issued after the trilateral talks in London, Afghan President Hamid Karzai was busy attacking Pakistan albeit indirectly in interviews given before the summit as well as in private conversations even after the summit.
In the most high profile interview to The Guardian and ITV, Karzai - whose decade long rule in Afghanistan has become a byword for corruption, nepotism and lawlessness - suggested Pakistan was preventing the Taliban from entering into peace talks with his government, even though the fact is that the Taliban leadership has long made it clear they would not talk to a puppet regime.
Karzai, who was installed by the western countries after the 9/11 attacks, is of Pashtun extraction but he is widely hated by Pashtuns, who form more than 65 percent of the Afghan population and who form the bedrock of Taliban support, who have successfully exploited the fact that he has the backing of the Nato countries for Afghanistans occupation but more than that Pashtuns blame Karzai for the deaths of tens of thousands of poor Afghans, mainly Pashtuns.
Although, Karzai gushed about brother Pakistan standing next to British Prime Minister David Cameron and President Asif Ali Zardari but his words sounded hollow and devoid of any substance because only a few hours earlier Karzai took several swipes at Pakistan during his interview with the Guardian and ITN.
Clearly desperate to hide his own failure and anxious to shift the blame to anyone else but himself, Karzai held Pakistan responsible for creating trouble in his war-ravaged country.
He made a mockery of claims of better relations between Kabul and Islamabad when he referred to external elements involved in creating instability and lawlessness in Afghanistan. There will not be peace in Afghanistan by having an agreement only between us and the Afghan Taliban. Peace will only come when the external elements involved in creating instability and fighting, or lawlessness in Afghanistan, are involved in talks, he said.
At another point in the interview, Karzai blamed external forces acting in the name of the Taliban for impeding the peace process. It is widely understood that Karzai was pointing the finger at Pakistan.
Karzai also annoyed the British military by saying that Helmand situation and security was better before British troops were deployed there in 2006. He added that the drawdown of Western troops appeared to have been because Western leaders had realised that they were fighting in the wrong place.
He said that he expected the departure of British troops to lead to a reduction in violence. His comments have deeply upset British military commanders who have lobbied hard in recent years to keep troops in Afghanistan despite austerity cuts, in the hope of securing some areas and bringing peace.
At several places in the interview, Karzai blamed everyone else but himself for the civil-war like situation in his country, where he has failed to deliver the promised peace and stability. In fact, under him, a large swathe of the country is under Taliban control and his leadership has been so weak that there is little doubt left in anyones mind that Taliban will make a comeback once the Nato troops leave the country. He said: Its the external factors that will determine the extent of progress and stability or the lack of it.
Karzai, who until recently has been a strong advocate for the prolonged stay of western troops, surprisingly said that withdrawal of occupation troops will be good for us because after all its our country, and we have to protect it and provide for it. Given the help, well be happier and better able to do it. But whether Karzai will have any role in future Afghanistan is anyones guess as it looks certain that he will be dumped by his masters in not too distant future because of his failure to deliver on the promises he made.
When asked that Taliban want to see him dead and will not hold reconciliation talks with him, Karzai claimed that thousands of Taliban and Taliban leaders are in contact with us but again remembered to take a swipe by suggesting that the name of Taliban is being used by external elements and statements denouncing him are not factually Taliban statements.
He claimed that violence will reduce when foreign troops leave as Afghan Taliban will have a grievance removed but from the external forces acting in the name of the Taliban, we will have to wait and see.
Karzai also complained in the interview that Pakistan was denying Afghanistan a platform to stand on, for a strategic partnership between Afghanistan and Pakistan to take place.
So Pakistan indeed should, or must, find it absolutely necessary for survival, to begin to address the question of extremism and terrorism and to begin to improve relations with Afghanistan, as two sovereign, good neighbourly countries, said Karzai.
Karzai makes mockery of trilateral summit by attacking Pakistan - thenews.com.pk
