GET OUT OF AFGHANISTAN

i wonder if karzai has already stashed away money in switzerland or some other safe heaven ?
(in the name of afghan security , of course ! )

Of course he has stashed money way, the real question is does it figure into the tens of millions or is it rather hundreds of millions?

At the same time, however, the White House is indicating that Mr. Obama may look to circumvent the national government by stepping up relations with provincial governors and tribal leaders. Last week, officials say, Obama requested a rundown of Afghanistan's provinces, including which have the most reliable leaders capable of working with the US and the international community on providing security and basic services to local populations.

More of a bottom-up approach to Afghanistan gets points from experts who say that a heavy focus on the centralized leadership of a historically decentralized country has been one of Washington's " and the West's " biggest mistakes.

"A localized approach would be a step in the right direction, if only because it would better recognize Afghanistan for what it is " a very divided and decentralized country," Ms. Innocent says. "But it's not going to solve the pervasive problems like a lack of local justice systems that are pushing the local populations into the arms of the Taliban."

You deleted your post, you little piece of chicken scratch.

I addressed your "opinions", the tripe you raised, the perpetual whining about 9-11. You and your ilk have rained much much greater death and untold volumes of terror on countless countries and peoples around the world and you have the temerity to whine like you do.

I haven't mentioned Afghan too much lately because I am hard pressed to say anymore what the answer is all things considered; such as the problem of Pakistan and the Taliban.

Japan to fund infrastructure in Afghanistan: report
(AFP) " 2 days ago

TOKYO " Japan will fund a programme costing up to five billion dollars to help build roads and boost agriculture in conflict-torn Afghanistan, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has outlined the proposal, which would include water control and irrigation technology, the Nikkei business daily reported.

The five-year programme, starting next year, would also help provide job training for former Taliban with stipends of 100-200 dollars a month, while giving time with Japanese companies in Japan, the newspaper said.

Hatoyama plans to announce the initiative, which would be on top of existing financial support for Afghanistan, when US President Barack Obama visits Japan in mid-November, it said.

Hatoyama's centre-left government, which won a general election on August 30, has already told the United States it will end a naval refuelling mission that supports the war in Afghanistan.
Hatoyama has repeatedly said he planned for new, non-military support for Afghanistan such as job training for former Taliban as a possible alternative to the refuelling mission.

The Indian Ocean mission -- which began in December 2001 and was periodically renewed by Japan's previous, conservative government -- provides the US-led coalition with fuel and other logistical support.

Obama has invested much political capital in the promise to root out Islamic extremists from Afghanistan and is weighing a request from his own military to send more US troops there.

While in opposition, Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan briefly forced a halt to the mission through parliamentary manoeuvres, arguing that Japan -- officially pacifist since World War II -- should not abet "American wars."

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

Islamabad, Nov. 2 (ANI): Pakistan reportedly told US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that members of any Afghan Taliban Shura were not hiding in Balochistan, against whom the US had demanded a crackdown.

According to The Nation, during her recent visit to Islamabad, Clinton pushed Pakistan for a crackdown but to her sheer disappointment, the demand was rejected for lack of evidence.

Pakistan, however, accepted the US request to help accelerate process of dialogue with the Taliban elements in Afghanistan.

The Obama administration had requested Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to help Washington initiate a dialogue process with the Taliban in Afghanistan as part of its ‘talk to the Taliban’ strategy.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has sent Director General ISI, Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha to Saudi Arabia as his special emissary to discuss the renewed US proposal.

Sources said that Gen Pasha called on Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz in Riyadh the other day and conveyed the message of resident Asif Ali Zardari. Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz also attended the meeting. (ANI)

Obama urges 'new Afghan chapter'
US President Barack Obama has urged Afghan leader Hamid Karzai to "write a new chapter" in governing Afghanistan, after its disputed presidential poll.

Mr Obama said that in a phone call, he had also asked Mr Karzai to intensify efforts to eradicate corruption.
He was speaking after the Afghan president had been declared winner of August's fraud-marred election.

Earlier, poll officials scrapped a planned run-off following the withdrawal of Mr Karzai's challenger.

president obama is telling president karzai to stop the corruption in afgh.
that's like telling a bulldog to "please stop chewing that bone" imo .

What happens now? What next?

Galbraith was the USA ambassador to India from 1961 to 1963, most of the time that John F. Kennedy was President of the USA. This book is his diary of those years, with little subsequent editing. The writing is crisp, usually clear, and enjoyable to read. Two examples: "The latter [alligators] are a priceless asset for they will greatly discourage waterskiing." "Professor Friedman is the world's foremost friend of the free market. I suggested to him that nowhere in the world, the Soviet union excepted, would he do less damage than in India."
One marvels at Galbraith's constitution that survives one party after another, interspersed with meetings and speeches. One also marvels at the number of dignitaries present in India. Much will be of no interest to the average reader. One can pick this book up at just about any point and leave it at any other. It is a challenge to read all six hundred pages, but if you succeed you will almost certainly be discouraged from ever wanting to be a U.S. ambassador.
There are of course tidbits of interesting information; how to deal with the hawks in the administration and Galbraith's thoughts on Vietnam. The most interesting are the chapters on the border wars between China and India, in which the USA was prominently in the background with Galbraith much involved. At the same time there was the question of how to resolve the conflict between Pakistan and India over Kashmir, an apparently irresolvable problem.