Saying that they will “allow” the Taliban to set up an office in the nation of Qatar, the NATO-backed Hamid Karzai government today issued a series of demands on how that office will have to work.
In its statement, the Afghan council said that any negotiations between the Taliban and other nations would require a representative from the government to be present and would require official permission to go forward.
The demands are significant, but whether or not the Karzai government can actually force anyone to follow them is another matter. Indeed, most of the talks with the Taliban seem to start behind the government’s back and they are only brought into the deal as a courtesy near the end.
Even this may start being less common after US officials say that Karzai’s government ruined a deal with the Taliban which would’ve seen a prisoner exchange from Guantanamo Bay when they announced that they were opposed to the idea of any prisoner swaps.
If the Taliban determine to set up an office in Qatar and it is okay with Qatar, how is Karzai going to stop them?
By authorizing an invasion by American and allied NATO forces?
Karzai is a figment of American imagination. He, like Saddam, was created by the US and, like Saddam, he will stay in power on as long as the US so determines. Finally, ultimately, like Saddam, when he is no longer useful to the US, he will be terminated. Probably with extreme prejudice.
I wonder if this is a case of Karzai beginning to feel his irrelevance in the serious matters. He should probably take notice of what is going on in Baghdad in a post-US/NATO retreat.
LIGHT SHINES — EMPIRES ARE FORCED TO GIVE WAY
Our oil guzzling and glorious Empire is anchored to the Afghan mountains for eternity, which is until peak oil has come and gone. And so sad it is that we can’t just be upfront and not two-faced about it, but then that would make muscle brain Ms. Hillary and half her State Department most obsolete, close down the Iraq Green Zone and put its 15,000 fiction generators among the unemployed, and just maybe start a chain reaction so grand to see, Empire USA finally put out of its misery.
Karzai is in no position to make demands on anyone, much less the Taliban. His days are numbered and he's jockeying to make himself look important enough to not get whacked when the US is done with him.
I actually wouldn't be surprised if the US decides that they can accomplish more if Karzai were not in the way. Just as Karzai's brother (IIRC) got whacked, the same happening to old Hamid is not far-fetched, IMO.