>>>>http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/12/06/us.afghanistan.karzai/index.html
>>>>
>>>>This makes steam come out of my ears. Are eight years and untold billions of dollars not patience enough? Here is the leader of one of the most corrupt governments in the world, the "winner" of an election this fall that was so crooked it would have made the old Soviets blush, and he's lecturing us. Unbelievable.
>>>
>>>The election may have been crooked - but I think the rest of the world (U.S. included) didn't make much of a fuss because he was their preferred candidate anyway (he certainly had the full backing of the western world in the previous election)
>>>
>>>>Someone please remind me why we care about Afghanistan beyond taking out the terrorists who are there.
>>>> We can do that without having to put up with lectures from tinhorn dictators.
>>>
>>>It's possible, given that he probably understands what's happening on the ground better than most outsiders, that he is simply being realistic in his expectations?
>>
>>A very charitable view IMO. Another view is that he is thoroughly corrupt and wants to hang onto it as long as he can.
>>As far as the election, the rest of the world did make a fuss,
>
>( I did say 'much of a fuss')
>
>>to the point of forcing a runoff election. Karzai's opponent apparently understands Afghanistan's insularity and resistance to outside influences well enough to withdraw before the vote. (Or maybe he was bought off, who knows). He said the second election would be as crooked as the first.
>
>Then it could be equally argued that Karzai himself understands 'the insulartiy and resistance to change'.
>Bottom line is that he is probably right - things won't have improved enough to guarantee stability within the time frame for a pull-out.

My prediction is he will die on that line.