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Afghanistan
Afghans Greet Karzai During Ghazni Visit
2003-05-29
EFL.
GHAZNI - Cheering crowds stood atop buildings and lined the streets to greet Afghan President Hamid Karzai on a one-day visit Thursday. Karzai hopped out of a motorcade several blocks from the governor's mansion, moving through the crowd, his arms raised as the throngs pressed around him. He also mounted a horse to play the traditional game of bushkazi.
Wonder whose head was used? Hek, buddy, you all there?
It was a meaningful show by the populist president whose government controls only the capital, Kabul, which is patrolled by a 5,000-man international peacekeeping force. Karzai's chief of staff, Said Tayeb Jawad, said the Ghazni visit was part of the president's efforts to meet with his people and assess their needs. ``He came to find out how the reconstruction process is going and what the people need,'' said Jawad, who was with Karzai on the trip. ``We'll be doing this in all of the provinces.'' Security was extremely tight.
No, really?
Assuming they even announced it was going to take place, the jihadis were probably turning themselves inside out to figure how to bump him off...
Karzai arrived in a field outside town aboard a Chinook helicopter, which was escorted by two U.S. attack helicopters on the 30-minute flight. His U.S. bodyguards were omnipresent as the president moved through the town, and several armed bodyguards looked down from the roof of the two-story governor's mansion while Karzai was inside. After meeting with Gov. Asadullah Khalid, Karzai was to visit a television station and a school in Ghazni, 95 miles southwest of the capital, according to Malang Shah, a security official at the palace.
Show the flag, kiss the babies, whack the Taliban — yep, Karzai's a politican allright.
Posted by:Steve White

#2  I guess they must have kicked in something. He had planefare to Ghazni. Dostum's moved to Kabul, so maybe that helped.
Posted by: Fred   2003-05-29 15:04:26  

#1  any word on what happened with the customs revenues?? Kabul was supposed to have more money in hand within a week or so - havent heard anything since the conference with the warlords -i presume its moving much more slowly, if at all.

this politicing is important - Ghazni is one of the Pashtun borderland provinces thats not under the contol of one of the big warlords the governors are actually (and not just nominally) appointed by Karzai - to the extent that the Taliban is chased out, these provinces add to the area around Kabul as the central govt's power base. Next step is pushing out Dostum, while maintaining alliance with Fahim/Attah Muhammed in northeast and Gul Aga Shirzai in South - but with growing weight for central govt. Then go after Ismael Khan.

Its going more slowly than would have hoped a year ago, but the plan seems to still be there.


Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-05-29 12:57:17  

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