Afghan President Karzai: ‘Security Handover’ to Begin in Weeks

March 21 'Event' Will Be Precursor to Multi-Year Scheme

The latest in a long line of pre-scripted moves designed to convince the international community that the calamitous Afghan War is moving forward in some orchestrated manner will be held in a matter of weeks, according to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Karzai insisted that there would be a “handover” on March 21 that is the first step of the elaborate, multi-year handover strategy detailed in Lisbon’s conference.

NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen confirmed the date, saying he was “very optimistic” that the current timetable would lead to a full security handover (albeit not a military withdrawal) by May of 2014.

The March 21 “start” doesn’t seem to have any practical impact on the situation on the ground, but is entirely a ceremonial effort, likely aimed at allowing President Obama to insist that he kept his word about July 2011 being the beginning of a handover, even if it is one that is open-ended and illusory.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.