FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
With friends like Hamid Karzai, who needs enemies?
Here's what America's alleged ally - the president of Afghanistan - has been up to lately...
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/06/art.karzai.jpg caption="Afghan President Hamid Karzai (R) speaks with visiting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad moments before a joint press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul on March 10, 2010."]
- First - he invited Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to hang out with him in Kabul
- Then Karzai blamed the fraud in Afghanistan's elections on foreigners who he says wanted a "puppet government" in his country.
- This past weekend, Karzai reportedly threatened to quit the political process and join the Taliban if he kept coming under "foreign pressure" to reform
- Lastly - our good friend told a group of tribal leaders that the U.S.-led alliance won't move against Taliban fighters in Kandahar quote "until you say we can."
Enough already - the United States has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into Afghanistan - propping up Karzai's government - since the 2001 invasion... not to mention American lives. For what?
Tom Friedman recently wrote in his New York Times column when you can steal an election - like Karzai did - you can steal anything. He asks how the U.S. can rebuild Afghanistan while relying on a corrupt partner like Karzai.
Friedman worries that "once we clear, hold and build Afghanistan for him, Karzai is going to break our hearts." If that happens, it won't be the first heart to be broken in that cesspool of a civilization.
Meanwhile this afternoon, the White House indicated it may have finally had enough... saying it could cancel Karzai's upcoming U.S. visit if he keeps making "troubling and untruthful remarks."
Here’s my question to you: What should U.S. policy be when it comes to Afghanistan?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Ed in Camden, Ohio writes:
Simple: We shouldn't be in Afghanistan in the first place. The minute we leave, be it in a year or in 10 years, that country will revert to what it's always been, a lawless territory where tribal lords fight it out for control.
Adam in Simi Valley, California writes:
What it always should have been: Destroy al Qaeda and those that harbor and enable our enemies, such as the Taliban. We are far too weak on our foreign policy. If Karzai wants to become another Saddam and throw his lot in with the Taliban and other Islamic extremists, then he made his bed. He should suffer their fate.
Richard writes:
The Karzai regime is hated by most Afghans. Turn him over to the Taliban. Install an unbiased Afghan tribunal to govern internal affairs. Allow the tribunal to form its own non-Taliban military force while the U.S. flies cover. Eventually pull-back coalition forces to remote bases in Northern Alliance strongholds. Strike the Taliban with airpower (drones and AC130 gunships) when they make their power plays. The U.S. should adopt the guerilla tactics.
Mark writes:
Jack, You need to understand the situation he is in. His innocent fellow citizens are being killed by military mistake almost every month and he is seen as the head of government backed by the foreigners. Karzai is exercising independence to save face.
Joe in New Jersey writes:
We really need to know where the Afghans stand regarding their loyalty to Karzai. If he has their full support for his comments then perhaps we should think about packing up, taking everything that we own and leave the thorn to fester. They can return to the third century AD and continue their tribal ways.