Graft-Fighting Prosecutor Is Dismissed in Afghanistan (by Karzai, who is “stalling and stalling")

[Turborama]

Source: NYT

By DEXTER FILKINS and ALISSA J. RUBIN -
Published: August 28, 2010 -

KABUL, Afghanistan — One of the country’s most senior prosecutors said Saturday that President Hamid Karzai fired him this week after he repeatedly refused to block corruption investigations at the highest levels of Mr. Karzai’s government. Fazel Ahmed Faqiryar, the former deputy attorney general, said investigations of more than two dozen senior Afghan officials — including cabinet ministers, ambassadors and provincial governors — were being held up or blocked outright by Mr. Karzai, Attorney General Mohammed Ishaq Aloko and others.

Mr. Faqiryar’s account of the troubles plaguing the anticorruption investigations has been largely corroborated in interviews with five Western officials familiar with the cases. They say that Mr. Karzai and others in his government have repeatedly thwarted prosecutions against senior Afghan government figures. An American official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Afghan prosecutors had prepared several cases against officials suspected of corruption, but that Mr. Karzai was “stalling and stalling and stalling.”

“We propose investigations, detentions and prosecutions of high government officials, but we cannot resist him,” Mr. Faqiryar said of Mr. Karzai. “He won’t sign anything. We have great, honest and professional prosecutors here, but we need support.”

Earlier this month, Mr. Karzai intervened to stop the prosecution of one of his closest aides, Mohammed Zia Salehi, who investigators say had been wiretapped demanding a bribe from another Afghan seeking his help in scuttling a corruption investigation.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/world/asia/29afghan.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&src=igw

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Just caught this photo on the NYT piece. Strikes of severe narcissism and/or megalomania when you have an enormous portrait of yourself like that anywhere, let alone at some kind of speech/press conference, or whatever it was he was doing....


Western officials confirm reports that President Hamid Karzai
of Afghanistan and others in his government have repeatedly
thwarted prosecutions against senior Afghan government figures

[ladywnch]

1. creation of Saddam Hussien part two.

this isn't going to be a problem is it?

[tinymontgomery]

11. That's what I thought when I saw the picture

didn't hussien have pictures of him with other big pictures of in the back ground? There's some other famous dictators out there that have the same kind of pictures.

[Vehl]

2. They should have put one of those northern Allience leaders as the president and not karzai

At least the Northern Alliance folks were for a secular and anti-Taliban rule (they were fighting the Taliban for decades)

no wonder the Al-Quaida killed northern alliance leader Shah massoud(the lion of panchier) a few days before 9/11
I wish Karzais opponent Abdullah Abdullah (who is a very Medical Doctor and a northern alliance leader) won the recent election...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_Abdullah

[Diclotican]

3. Vehl

Vehl

Dr Abdullah Abdullah could might have von the recent election in Afghanistan, if it was not for the fact that the election was rigged to make Karzai the leader of Afghanistan again.. And belive me, as long as Karzai can be trusted to be the west, best hope for Afghanistan - or at least as long as he have the suport of US/NATO, the elections wil be rigged, to make it imposible for anyone else than him, to get into the office of the president.. And he have also mighty powers behind him, who is seeing him as one they can do business with - even the warlords, who is produsing the drug that is killing millions in other parts of the world, can do business with Karzai...

One time I belived Karzai to be the best hope for Afghanistan - specailly after years with the repressive regime of Taliban on their back.. Now Im not so sure with all the rumors of corruption, crimes who is skyhigh, and the corruption who is in endemedic stages this days..


Shah Massoud was a dangrous man, both for the AL-Qauda, Taliban, and maybe even for US, mostly becouse he had been a "Lion" and have been one of the BIG names in the fight against the soviets in the 1980s, and then was one of the few northen alliance leaders, who also was fighting the Taliban.. And stayed alive as long as he did.. In a new Afghanistan, who had been rid of Taliban, mr Massoud could have been one of the real leaders of the country, a man who was not known to be so corrupt, and who also was known to know peopole... He could have been a troublesome leader to have in Kabul, as he most sure would have expeled a lot of the secred oppratives in Afghanistan, or outright killed them.. And strictly restricted the movement of forreign intelligence in the country.. Karzai have been known to look the other way, when CIA, and others have doing what they do, and are not to picky about coming out and suport if it was for the best of himself.. Even tho he have seen some balls, and have complained, even harsh to the US, about the many killings of sivilians, who was no part of the war at first.. But if you survive a 1500 kg bomb on your house, you migh be little more suportive of taliban, who claim to be on your side... And rembember, even Karzai was at one point, a friend of Taliban, and even suported them, but turn around after 2001 when it was clear that US would put an end to Taliban..

Afghansitan is a country who have lost 30 or so years, to war and famie.. Its sad, becouse Pakistan can and should be able to at least build a better future than past, it have some ressourses and even have oil and gas who need to be put to use for the best of the AFGHAN peopole.. A peacefull Afghanistan, can at least give the afghans themself, a decent life, and maybe even build up what have been bombed for the last 35 year..

But then they need some really hardworking, and honnest government, and for the moment I doubt they would have that for a while..

Diclotican

[InkAddict]

4. Nice to see you Diclotican

You are doing well learning the English language, and your phrasing is improving a lot. (Hint: spellcheck is your friend, but I understand the urgency of your thoughts). I think your viewpoints add insight to our discussions.

[Diclotican]

9. InkAddict

InkAddict

Thank you for your kind words;) Yes I know about the spell check, but sometimes my fingers is faster than my head, and often I might also forget about the spell check at all... But I hope My english at least is starting to getting better, as I use the language more and more... But I'm properly better to read english, than to write it anyway, was never that of a good student in grade school in the noble art of english..

And nice to read, that my viewpoints also add insight to your discussions sometimes. Always nice to know about it, even tho I know its is many people here, who are far better than me, to write and express their viewpoints than I am. Many at DU is great writers

Diclotican

[Vehl]

5. I agree

Its not surprising the Elections were rigged.

and I will not be surprised that if the Allied forces in Afghanistan supported this rigging efforts.As you rightly pointed out, they wanted karzai cos he was amenable to their orders...Ahmad Shah maussoud would not have been such a spineless person.


its ironic that both the US led forces and the Al-quaida/Taliban both dislike Shah mausoud and Abdulla Abdhulla...cos these two are people who think of Afghanistan first...not the kind of leaders who would be willing to take orders from anyone.

[Turborama]

8. Some young candidates who think of Afghanistan 1st: "Afghan candidates campaign amid fear" (video)

http://www.youtube.com/user/AlJazeeraEnglish">AlJazeeraEnglish | August 27 2010

The United States is expecting an increase in Taliban attacks in Afghanistan ahead of next month's parlimentary elections.

At least three candidates have already been killed in the run-up to the September 18 poll.

But that has not stopped candidates from getting out and campaigning.

Al Jazeera English's Hoda Abdel Hamid reports from Afghanistan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWfaS2gYSjs

Just posted it in the videos forum, too: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x499597

[Diclotican]

10. Vehl

Vehl

The allied forces in Afghanistan want more than anyone, peopole who know their places, and who is able to take orders.. Even tho Karzai many times have been to easy to take orders lately.. The last couple of years, have been troublesome, as even Karzai, who have allways been buddies with US/NATO, have been critical, and even treated with puting an end to actions outside the capital by NATO forces..

Many dislike, or hate the persons like Abdulla Abdhulla, and the late Massoud mostly becouse they are not easy to control. In the case of late Massoud the man had an army on his side, a army who was known to fight well, and who had been on the line many, many times. And was one of the few Northen Alliance forces, who also had given Al-Qauad/Taliban a blue aye or two.. In fact the forces of Mousoud was from the powerhouse they had, one of the few forces even the fanatical Talibans was not able to fight down, as they also was suported by the sivilians, who hated taliban more than they hated anyone else.. As many afghans did, as they belived, and was seeing the Taliban as a Pakistan breed... And paid first by USA, and then Saudi-Arabia, who from 1992, had given Al-Quada the sum of ONE BILLION US Dollar, eatch year, to fend up attack on saudi-arabien soil.. It stoped first when AL-Quad attaced SA soil in 2004, after the government of SA treated to stop giving the organisation more money

Diclotican

[Green_Lantern]

12. give me a break...that election had corruption on all sides...

It wasn't just Karzai who benefited from it. Other candidates had just as many people trying to buy or coerce support for their candidate.

[Turborama]

7. Good points well made, Vehl

I was following the Taliban during that time and was really shocked to hear of Massoud's assassination. He was the best hope for Afghanistan at the time.

http://www.massoudhero.com/

[kiranon]

6. Time to leave Afghanistan and let Karzai stand or fall on his own.

Otherwise, US will be seen as a willing partner in corruption. No American soldier should die for this regime.

[classysassy]

13. Why are we supporting that corrupt selected puppet?

The war profiteers and their puppet continue to rob us blind while our poor continue to suffer,why are we still fighting a war we can't win? Bring back the draft and we will have peace.