> <http://www.guardian.co.uk/> ><http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/22/us-afghan-plan-to-bypass-karzai>http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/22/us-afghan-plan-to-bypass-karzai > > >US will appoint Afghan 'prime minister' to bypass Hamid Karzai > >White House plans new executive role to challenge corrupt government in Kabul > > > ><http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/julianborger>Julian >Borger in Brussels and ><http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/ewenmacaskill>Ewen >MacAskill in Washington > ><http://www.guardian.co.uk/>guardian.co.uk, Sunday 22 March 2009 20.15 GMT ><http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/22/us-afghan-plan-to-bypass-karzai#history-byline>Article > >history > >The US and its European allies are °©preparing >to plant a high-profile figure in the heart of >the Kabul government in a direct challenge to >the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, the Guardian >has learned. > >The creation of a new chief executive or prime >ministerial role is aimed at bypassing Karzai. >In a further dilution of his power, it is >proposed that money be diverted from the Kabul >government to the provinces. Many US and >European officials have become disillusioned >with the extent of the corruption and >incompetence in the Karzai government, but most >now believe there are no credible alternatives, >and predict the Afghan president will win >re-election in August. > >President Karzai has failed to root out >corruption and government incompetence ><http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/audio/2009/mar/23/karzai-afghanistan-usa-nato>Link > >to this audio > >A revised role for Karzai has emerged from the >White House review of ><http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/afghanistan>Afghanistan >and ><http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/pakistan>Pakistan >ordered by ><http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/barack-obama>Barack >Obama when he became president. It isto be >unveiled at a special conference on ><http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/afghanistan>Afghanistan >at The Hague on March 31. > >As well as watering down Karzai's personal >authority by installing a senior official at the >president's side capable of playing a more >efficient executive role, the US and Europeans >are seeking to channel resources to the >provinces rather than to central government in >Kabul. > >A diplomat with knowledge of the review said: >"Karzai is not delivering. If we are going to >support his government, it has to be run >properly to ensure the levels of corruption >decrease, not increase. The levels of corruption >are frightening." > >Another diplomat said alternatives to Karzai had >been explored and discarded: "No one could be >sure that someone else would not turn out to be >10 times worse. It is not a great position." > >The idea of a more dependable figure working >alongside Karzai is one of the proposals to >emerge from the White House review, completed >last week. Obama, locked away at the presidental >retreat Camp David, was due to make a final >decision this weekend. > >Obama is expected to focus in public on overall >strategy rather than the details, and, given its >sensitivity, to skate over °©Karzai's new role. >The main recommendation is for the Afghanistan >objectives to be scaled back, and for Obama to >sell the war to the US public as one to ensure >the country cannot again be a base for al-Qaida >and the Taliban, rather than the more ambitious >aim of the Bush administration of trying to >create a European-style democracy in Central >Asia. > >Other recommendations include: increasing the >number of Afghan troops from 65,000 to 230,000 >as well as expanding the 80,000-strong police >force; °©sending more US and European civilians >to build up Afghanistan's infrastructure; and >increased aid to Pakistan as part of a policy of >trying to persuade it to tackle al-Qaida and >Taliban elements. > >The proposal for an alternative chief executive, >which originated with the US, is backed by >Europeans. "There needs to be a deconcentration >of power," said one senior European official. >"We need someone next to Karzai, a sort of chief >executive, who can get things done, who will be >reliable for us and accountable to the Afghan >people." > >Money and power will flow less to the ministries >in Kabul and far more to the officials who run >Afghanistan outside the capital â¤" the 34 >provincial governors and 396 district governors. >"The point on which we insist is that the time >is now for a new division of responsibilities, >between central power and local power," the >senior European official said. > >No names have emerged for the new role but the >US holds in high regard the reformist interior >minister appointed in October, Mohammed Hanif >Atmar. > >The risk for the US is that the imposition of a >technocrat alongside Karzai would be viewed as >colonialism, even though that figure would be an >Afghan. Karzai declared his intention last week >to resist a dilution of his power. Last week he >accused an unnamed foreign government of trying >to weaken central government in Kabul. > >"That is not their job," the Afghan president >said. "Afghanistan will never be a puppet state." > >The UK government has since 2007 advocated >dropping plans to turn Afghanistan into a model, >European-style state. > >Richard Holbrooke, the US envoy for Afghanistan >and Pakistan, who will implement the new policy, >said it would represent a "vastly restructured >effort". At the weekend in Brussels, he was >scathing about the Bush administration's conduct >of the counter-insurgency. "The failures in the >civilian side ... are so enormous we can at >least hope that if we get our act together ... >we can do a lot better," he said. > > > >Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? ><http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001>Make >dinner for $10 or less. > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Mark Crispin Miller's "News From Underground" newsgroup.
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