LOGO: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines. A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman. Winner 2013 Webby Awards for Best Political Website
May 20, 2013

 Choose a size
Text Size

Trending:     chris hedges     economy     elizabeth warren     politics     robert scheer
Most Read

Rise Up or Die

The Lotto Symbolizes the False Promises of Barracuda Capitalism

Truthdigger of the Week: Sen. Angus King

Obama Unscathed by Scandals, Mayor Denies Smoking Crack, and More

'SNL': Stefon's Farewell Features Anderson Cooper

Most Comments
Most Emailed

Reports
 * NEW! * Rise Up or Die

Ear to the Ground

A/V Booth

Arts & Culture
Act of Congress
Daily Rituals
The Girls of Atomic City

Digs

Truthdig Bazaar
Time of Useful Consciousness

Time of Useful Consciousness

By Lawrence Ferlinghetti
$22.95

Room: A Novel

Room: A Novel

By Emma Donoghue
$13.72

more items

 
Ear to the Ground

Karzai’s Cabinet Woes Continue

Email this item Email    Print this item Print    Share this item... Share

Posted on Jan 16, 2010
Karzai
Wikimedia Commons / The White House

As Karzai struggles to assemble a Cabinet, the international community frets.

It looks as if Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s Cabinet strategy is still in desperate need of repair. The majority of his nominees have once again been rejected by the parliament, casting doubt on his ability to lead in the country’s fractious political environment.

And let us not forget that Karzai holds power through an election debacle—e.g., fraud—and that his opponent in the 2009 runoff withdrew because he did not think the contest could be fair under the existing corrupt system. —JCL

The Guardian:

The Afghan parliament dealt a further blow to the authority of President Hamid Karzai by rejecting 10 of his 17 new cabinet nominees.

The vote today comes a fortnight after MPs turned down 70% of Karzai’s first cabinet choices.

The 224 MPs did approve two key posts—Karzai’s former security adviser Zalmay Rasul was approved as foreign minister and Habibullah Ghalib as justice minister.

But only one of three female nominees was approved—Amina Afzali, as work and social affairs minister. The two women proposed for the posts of public health and women’s affairs were rejected.

Read more

More Below the Ad

Advertisement


New and Improved Comments

If you have trouble leaving a comment, review this help page. Still having problems? Let us know. If you find yourself moderated, take a moment to review our comment policy.

By ardee, January 17, 2010 at 5:04 am Link to this comment

Rather than dwell upon the grammar lesson I would delve into the substance. I find a deal of irony in the fact that the Afghani government seems in revolt and expresses its displeasure at a leader who seems to have stolen an election and has more than a hint of the corrupt about him.

Contrast that with our own situation in which our own leader has lied his way into office
( harsh? really?) with a series of campaign promises now long forgotten, while our Congress consists of a minority in a perpetual temper tantrum and a majority running in circles accomplishing next to nothing.

Are we really the newest third world nation?

Report this

By yours truly, January 17, 2010 at 2:01 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

So we have a puppet parliament rejecting a puppet president’s appointments to a puppet cabinet.  In the next act the CIA will whisk President Hamid Karzai away to the Central African Republic as per its kidnapping of Haiti’s President Bertrand-Jean Aristide five years ago.  And just think, our President could end these perpetual wars any time he wanted merely by pulling the troops out now plus calling for justice for the Palestinian people, but, alas, he never will because without perpetual wars, how’s he going to scare us into giving up our civil liberties, our privacy, our public education, any chance for universal health care, not to mention the American dream?

Report this

By FRTothus, January 16, 2010 at 5:07 pm Link to this comment

Who is JCL and does he have an editor? 

“Also, let us not forget the fact that Karzai holds power through an election debacle—e.g., fraud—and that his opponent in the 2009 runoff election withdraw from the race because he did not think the contest could be fair under the existing corrupt system.”

The letters “e.g.” mean “for example”, not “that is” which is called for (that’s “i.e”, by the way). “Withdraw”?  Shouldn’t it’ve been the past-tense “withdrew”?

Not only is the editing sloppy, but the presumptions stated here as established fact, along with a rather large helping of the view from the imperial colonialist perspective, makes this “report” read more like an editorial.  From the imperial perspective, any puppet state that is not enthusiastic about its own exploitation, and any puppet quisling government that cannot crush dissent within its own ranks, risks the displeasure of the master.  The US, it appears, may have backed the wrong thug.

Report this
Newsletter

sign up to get updates


 
 
 
 
Join the Liberal Blog Advertising Network
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
© 2013 Truthdig, LLC. All rights reserved.