I have an odd craving for a sugar cookie, which in my experience is rarely as good after as presumed before consumption -- and, I am thinking about Afghanistan. The more reports come in, the more it seems the election was badly bungled. I'm not one to leap for conspiracy theories, but one can assume that two forces might have nudged the authorities in that country -- for whatever actual authority they hold over the country -- in such a direction. Firstly, the reality is that Karzai and his family have what many analysts consider an unhealthy relationship with the country and its economy. Since they do not have the strongest support base, it's not surprising that they would be afraid to lose control. Secondly and more pragmatically, the United States -- which owns Karzai -- and its allies simply need the current administration to remain in power.
They fully well understand that a non-Pashtun executive would be a non-starter.
Of course, beyond this, the country is deeply unstable. It's both a sad fact and a morally outrageous thing that when the occupation of Afghanistan began with an unprecedented level of local and international support, all of which was squandered, affected by the agendas of neoconservatives who would have much rather invaded Iraq. The role of local powers, and neighboring nationstates, including Pakistan, cannot be underestimated in producing or sustaining instability. But ultimately, we have fallen far short of what seemed in 2001 to be the most pessimistic expectations. The question now is whether the United States can recover; keep in mind that it has been almost 8 years (!) since the war began, and the Taliban are staging a comeback. At times I wonder if it failure to establish a legitimate, stable and meaningful governments might mean the end of NATO as an alliance.
Aziz has dedicated more time and energy to this topic.
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