Could Hamid Karzai Be Funding the Afghan Army, the Taliban, Al Qaeda, or himself?

[autorank]

Highly provocative and very logical.


Could Hamid Karzai Be Funding the Afghan Army, the Taliban, Al Qaeda, or himself?

Written by Jeff Koopersmith
Monday, 19 October 2009

Jeff Koopersmith explains why it might now be possible for the United States to wage war against the Taliban – and make a profit!

Geneva (apj.us) — It might be possible for the United States to wage war against the Taliban and make a profit.

As usual, Eric Schmitt wrote an interesting piece for the New York Times outlining the variety of funding sources available to the Taliban et al.

However, Schmitt failed to remember some obvious questions. For example: couldn’t poppy growers and affiliated drug processors be helping “the good guys” fund their war too?

Already, Afghanistan President Hamed Karzai has proved beyond a doubt that he (or his cadre) is not above attempting to fix elections – and in an obviously clumsy manner, inasmuch as they’ve been caught without much more effort than wondering whether or not the Balloon Boy Odyssey was a stunt.

So what is Afghanistan's “caped crusader” capable of engineering beyond fixing elections? Mr., Karzai, a personable and intelligent man, might very well be using the same tactics that the Taliban utilize to raise money – to fight the Taliban and/or line his own pockets.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Hmm the tangled web we weave

there is one thing missing here... has heroin done an uptick in American Streets?

Flashback to the 1980s when the CIA was funding black projects by selling drugs in LA...

Forgive me for saying this but this is way too familiar, especially when the Company knows to the dollar figure what we are dealing with.

Oh and the Taliban are not ONE organization, and neither is Al Qaida.

This is truly what nightmares are made off.

[autorank]

3. Isn't it though

There's a certain logic to this. But you're right, we may be in Peter Dale Scott territory (http://www.peterdalescott.net/q.html ).

Pakistan has 5,000 to 10,000 Taliban fighters on the battle field in Waziristan province, "the most dangerous place in the world" according gto our Afghan commanders. They're probably going get the job done. The excuses about how this will make no difference have already started. I can't find a recent Christian Science Monitor article saying that a Pakistan victory won't make much difference
to the U.S. Oh really! In months past, years past how many times have we heard the complaints about Pakistani's safe haven harming us severely in Afghanistan.

The excuses are flying -- in all directions!

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. and Obama shoudl have fired McKrystal on the spot

for violating the UCMJ... conduct unbecoming, and questioning orders of a superior officer, legal lawful orders...

They have not.

Things that make you go... hmmm ... who is the CIC and who is the general?

[loudsue]

14. My thoughts are the same, nadin:

If I remember correctly, the bush administration got rid of any generals/admirals, etc., who were not 100% rightwing fanatics. The reasonable people either took early retirement, got run off, or got pushed out. Now we're left with the slimedogs of rightwing war forever in charge of the pentagon & throughout the DoD.

I'm sure Obama knows how dangerous his position is.

[formercia]

16. The Crusaders want to keep the party going

What better way to liquidate Jihadists than to lure them to Afghanistan and pay for it with US blood and treasure.

The call to Crusade
Let the Princes raise their armies
each fighting under their flag
we shall all meet
on the fields of Armageddon.

[Joe Chi Minh]

17. It makes you wonder if Obama isn't piling up a whole lot of trouble

for himself on multiple fronts. I've thought for some time, he might do better to have a very deep, strong bunker built for himself and his family, and really sort the whole crew out. Didn't Cheney have one? Or was that a joke? I don't suppose anyone knows.

[truedelphi]

12. How do we succeeed somewhere like Pakistan with its population of 200

Million people. I mean, look at where we are now after eight years of fighting in Iraq, a nation which had only 22 to 24 million folks to begin with.

[Flaneur]

21. No, most our our smack comes from Mexico and Colombia.

It's junkies from London to Lahore, Moscow to Madrid to Madras who are enjoying the dubious benefits of the Afghan opium boom.

[Me.]

2. The Question Is

Is all of it going to be ripped from his hands. Ever notice how tightly his hands grasp his cloak?

[autorank]

6. Looks like a run off

Hillary predicted that he'd probably win anyway, given his performance but I think she was just letting
him save face. What a provocative article this is. That it could be written and sound so sensible shows where we are in our needless decline as a culture. I say, lets find a copy of John Arbuthnot's The Art of Political Lying and study up;)

[Me.]

9. So Who Do We Really Want In?

Or is all this a warning shot across the bow to Karzai?

[EFerrari]

4. Imho, it's even more simple than that from an American perspective.

CIA needs a reason to stay in Afghanistan. :shrug:

[autorank]

8. Hey there!

There should be a survey of the troops in Afghanistan, confidential, to see what they think. Too much from brass, to little from the enlisted men.

I think that there's just a huge imperative to "win" after "losing" so badly in Iraq. We didn't lose any battles but we sure lost everything else. Somehow, a "win" in Afghanistan will make it all right. That's why we put up with people like Karzai at this point. He was a tool but now he's seen as a part of our one last chance.

Pakistan's rulers and Army have put it all on the line going after the Taliban in Waziristan. It will determine how their future goes in a major way.

For the people here, there's hardly any downside to leaving Afghanistan. But for the neoconservatives and the defense lobby, they're looking at two straight foul ups. In pressed times, that's not a good rallying cry for more defense, although they'll try. It is a good rationale to bring the troops home from all over the world.

[EFerrari]

10. So, is Pakistan going after the Taliban or is that for outside consumption?

And, when we say "Pakistan", who are we talking about?

There's a lot going on at the same time! :hi:

[autorank]

11. It's for real - the Taliban assaults in the western provinces had a huge effect

The popular opinion over there was very anti-U.S. because they felt left high and dry after the years of cooperation fomenting trouble for the Soviets by creating the nasty right wing religious militias. When we started blaming them for what was a joint project, they realized that they got "the treatment." It's widely known among the public. The drone attacks which killed civilians increased the hostility toward U.S.

But when the Taliban broke a 3 month peace and started slitting throats in the mountain region near their capital and then expanded, the mass exodus of 2.0 million Pakistanis fleeing the Taliban became issue #1. The public was furious, more so at the Taliban than us. 2.0 million refugees is a real tragedy. That's when the regular army packed up 30,000 troops and sent them from the Indian border to the frontier provinces on the Afghanistan border. The regular Pakistani Army is a serious organization and they beat the Taliban back sufficiently for most of the 2.0 million had returned to their homes by a bout a month ago.

But South Waziristan is the big prize, the general HQ for the Taliban. It's too big a battle to lose. So when they win, we'll have one less excuse as to why it's so hard to "win" in Afghanistan. Deep, huh;)

[EFerrari]

15. It is deep but worth it because then Afghanistan finally makes some sense.

Somehow I spaced out on that huge displacement of people -- maybe because Honduras happened. Now I remember the very beginning of it.

I don't know if you're interested in these but they were helpful to me.

Ahmed Rashid from a year or so ago. He's talked about al Qaida more than about the Taliban but his discussions distinguishing them and yet relating them on the playing field are very good, imo.
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/206063-1


Fitzgerald and Gould were there in the 80s. I was just watching this tonight as a matter of fact.
http://www.booktv.org/Watch/10236/Invisible+History+Afghanistans+Untold+Story.aspx

[ihavenobias]

19. "I think that there's just a huge imperative to "win" after "losing" so badly in Iraq."

Well put.

[autorank]

24. Thanks

I can be accused of being premature on Iraq, but it seems all over but the shouting.

We're in an age of "endless war."

[DemReadingDU]

22. imperative to "win" after "losing" so badly in Iraq

Maybe Osama bin Laden will finally be found, dead or alive. Still, after so many years, I'd rather all our troops just home.

[Truth2Tell]

7. K&R, great read, thanks Auto! nt

[autorank]

25. Thanks!!! Koopersmith has that acid wit.

Who knows what's going on over there but it is so far beyond what would benefit us, perticularly
in our depleted state, it really should just end, now.

[eridani]

13. I call "lining his own pockets" Alex n/t

[Orwellian_Ghost]

18. K&R

[Me.]

20. It's On

Nov. 7

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/20/afghanistan-runoff-necess_n_326900.html

[autorank]

23. The UN diplomat deserves a huge amount of credit for this

Had he not made a stink about the stinking election, this would not have happened.

Thank you to him!!!!!!