President Karzai’s Half Brother Killed in Afghanistan

Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s half brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, was fatally shot at his home in Kandahar on Tuesday by a local police official, Sardar Mohammad, whom Karzai had included in his inner circle. The Taliban took credit for the assassination, which is sure to put strain on the already unstable relationship between the U.S. and Afghanistan. –KA

The Washington Post:

The death underscores the continued vulnerability of Afghan officials as the United States prepares to reduce its military presence, and likely will complicate U.S. efforts to bolster security in southern Afghanistan. Karzai — long seen as acting primarily in his own self-interest — recently had seemed more willing to work with the United States to defeat insurgents and strengthen the local government.

“He was the number one man in Kandahar,” said Mir Wali Khan, a former parliament member from Helmand province who was at Karzai’s house at the time of the shooting. “We expect now the security of Kandahar will get worse, and the fighting among the tribes will grow stronger and stronger.”

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