Karzai skates on thin ice

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Afghan President Hamid Karzai has seriously dented the credibility of one of the noblest institutions of his country's history and culture. A large number of Afghans today would hope that the institution of the loya jirga (grand tribal assembly) survives Karzai's presidency.

There are very few Afghan institutions remaining after the systematic vandalization of society and its native traditions through the past three decades of civil war, foreign interference and blood-soaked chaos.

Loya jirgas are called rarely - fewer than 20 have been held in the past 300 years of Afghan history. And they were probably never called to sanctify the bonding of an Afghan ruler with a foreign power. Karzai has violated a sacrosanct tradition. There could be a price to pay.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/MK22Df01.html

[Cirque du So-What]

1. Karzai keeps poking the hornet's nest

Odds are, his luck will run out and he'll get stung. A lot.

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2. He is looking forward to his VP slot at Exxon. nt

[Cirque du So-What]

3. Won't do him any good

if some tribal leader pops a cap in his ass, which I feel reasonably sure is on the minds of at least a couple of them. I've never seen an armored car - full of money - in a funeral procession, after all.

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4. It's all a matter of knowing when to move on.

I admit I am wondering if Karzai will make that decision in time, or be allowed to make it in time, he is after all hired help.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. We have no way of knowing how much

but you know he's raking in the American dollars that have been flowing like water into Afghanistan for some time now. Question is, will he be like the greedy monkey with his fist stuck in the jar of rice - stuck because the monkey refuses to release the rice already in his grip?

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7. Exactly. nt

[DCKit]

8. I expect he's well past his first billion by now.

However, I think he was a really bad investment. He's not going to pay off for TPTB, in the long run.

Then again, when he bails with the $$$$$, how much longer is he going to live?

[xchrom]

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