Afghanistan Spiraling Ever Downward

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is proving unable to control the insurgency that is terrorizing large swaths of the country.

Washington Post:

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 25 — Many Afghans and some foreign supporters say they are losing faith in President Hamid Karzai’s government, which is besieged by an escalating insurgency and endemic corruption and is unable to protect or administer large areas of the country.

As a sense of insecurity spreads, a rift is growing between the president and some of the foreign civilian and military establishments whose money and firepower have helped rebuild and defend the country for nearly five years. While the U.S. commitment to Karzai appears solid, several European governments are expressing serious concerns about his leadership.

“The president had a window of opportunity to lead and make difficult decisions, but that window is closing fast,” said one foreign military official in Kabul who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

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