Obama Presses Karzai for a Crackdown on Corruption

[TomCADem]

Source: NY Times

While there, Mr. Obama pressed President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan for a crackdown on corruption while strengthening the judicial system and promoting good governance, The Associated Press reported.

After a brief meeting with Mr. Karzai at the presidential palace in Kabul, Mr. Obama also praised steps in the military campaign against insurgents, but said Afghans needed to see conditions on the ground get better, The A.P. reported.

“Progress will continue to be made, but we also want to make progress on the civilian front,” Mr. Obama was quoted as saying, referring to anti-corruption efforts, good governance and adherence to the rule of law.

“All of these things end up resulting in an Afghanistan that is more prosperous and more secure,” Mr. Obama said, according to The A.P. He invited Karzai to visit Washington on May 12, the White House said.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/world/asia/29prexy.html?hp

[Roland99]

1. Good luck with that.

Although, I'm surprised Karzai hasn't pushed his Unocal contacts harder to get some pipelines going and get some money flowing. Pay off some Taliban and some warlords for protection.

[Robb]

2. This got lost in the other thread

...But it's quite interesting:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100328/ap_on_re_as/as_obama_afghanistan

....Obama's aides did not try to hide U.S. impatience about Afghanistan's halting efforts to battle corruption and cronyism in government.
"The president (Karzai) needs to be seized with how important that is," said Jim Jones, Obama's national security adviser.

(snip)

The White House insisted that Karzai's Cabinet participate in most of the meetings with Obama. The Cabinet includes a number of ministers favored by the U.S., including the heads of finance, interior and defense, whom the Obama administration wants to empower as a way of reducing the influence of presidential cronies. Some talented Afghan administrators have complained that Karzai marginalized them in an attempt to solidify his powers.

What's notable is all three of those ministers - Omar Zakhilwal, Mohammad Hanif Atmar and General Abdul Raheem Wardak - are Pashtun.

I stand by my earlier prediction that Karzai will be gone from the presidential palace before the end of the summer.

[conspirator]

3. That's like asking the Godfather for a Crackdown on crime nt