The GOP is right about some things. Government can sometimes waste your tax dollars needlessly. For example, the Ruler of Kabul’s President of Afghanistan’s brother and “alleged” drug dealer is a bought and paid for CIA asset. How de-lovely!
KABUL, Afghanistan — Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of the Afghan president and a suspected player in the country’s booming illegal opium trade, gets regular payments from the Central Intelligence Agency, and has for much of the past eight years, according to current and former American officials. […]
The agency pays Mr. Karzai for a variety of services, including helping to recruit an Afghan paramilitary force that operates at the C.I.A.’s direction in and around the southern city of Kandahar, Mr. Karzai’s home.
Now before you go all “How could the Chosen One do this?” on me , this isn’t something the Kenyan Muslim Fascist Impostor in the White House decided to do one day. No, this policy of paying vast sums to a major dealer in the Afghan opium trade (allegedly) was begun under the administration of Darth Cheney the Greatest President evah! In other words, it’s another fine mess Obama inherited from his predecessor.
The financial ties and close working relationship between the intelligence agency and Mr. Karzai raise significant questions about America’s war strategy, which is currently under review at the White House.
The ties to Mr. Karzai have created deep divisions within the Obama administration. The critics say the ties complicate America’s increasingly tense relationship with President Hamid Karzai, who has struggled to build sustained popularity among Afghans and has long been portrayed by the Taliban as an American puppet. The C.I.A.’s practices also suggest that the United States is not doing everything in its power to stamp out the lucrative Afghan drug trade, a major source of revenue for the Taliban. […]
“If we are going to conduct a population-centric strategy in Afghanistan, and we are perceived as backing thugs, then we are just undermining ourselves,” said Maj. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, the senior American military intelligence official in Afghanistan.
Yes, backing thugs does look bad, especially when you’re only backing one set of thugs. Which leads me to the rest of the story. What’s going to be our new strategery in Afghanistan, going forward? Why, pay more thugs, of course, to not fight us. No, really. That’s it.
The US military commanders in Afghanistan are to be allowed to pay Taliban fighters who switch sides and renounce violence against the government in Kabul.
The new provision is included in a defence bill Barack Obama, the US president, will sign into law on Wednesday.
As they say in those Guinness Stout commercials: Brilliant! If you can’t beat them, just put them on the Company’s payroll. Which is another reason we need to keep paying Karzai’s brother. It’s because he’s our go between to all those Taliban leaders who might deign to take our bribes receive their fair share of America’s tax dollars:
Mr. Karzai also helps the C.I.A. communicate with and sometimes meet with Afghans loyal to the Taliban. Mr. Karzai’s role as a go-between between the Americans and the Taliban is now regarded as valuable by those who support working with Mr. Karzai, as the Obama administration is placing a greater focus on encouraging Taliban leaders to change sides.
So who cares if he’s involved in another line of business besides being a CIA whatever it is they call him? Don’t you believe in a little free enterprise?
These military and political officials say the evidence, though largely circumstantial, suggests strongly that Mr. Karzai has enriched himself by helping the illegal trade in poppy and opium to flourish. The assessment of these military and senior officials in the Obama administration dovetails with that of senior officials in the Bush administration.
“Hundreds of millions of dollars in drug money are flowing through the southern region, and nothing happens in southern Afghanistan without the regional leadership knowing about it,” a senior American military officer in Kabul said.
You now see how we will finally get health care reform in this country don’t you? We just all have to declare ourselves to be either members of Hamid Karzai’s immediate family with valuable information OR we need to join the Taliban. Because if it’s one thing I’ve learned is that if you want to get money or services from the American government for doing nothing, you need to join a radical political movement that wants to kill Americans, be a major player in the Opium trade (unfortunately not an option for most of us) or you have to be born into a powerful and corrupt political family (sadly, too late for me on that last one).
Hey, just ask George Bush and the Republican Party? It worked out pretty well for them and their friends. Just ask Big Oil. Or the Defense Industry. And let’s not forget Goldman Sachs (though I’m sure they wish we would).
I know, I know. It isn’t the most ethical way to go about obtaining health care for all Americans (or even some Americans) but in these times, if you want to get anywhere in this world, you have to lock your morals in some deep, dark place where they won’t bother you ever again. Like these guys.
So, who’s ready to join the Taliban and get your free money for not fighting the US military?*
* Offer subject to certain restrictions and conditions, and may be modified or revoked at any time by the Company. Please read the prospectus carefully before enlisting.
Is this Opium trade job dangerous? Does it come with worker’s comp?
I would imagine this as a “purchase your own insurance” kind of operation.
And definitely no life insurance.
Yet another reason to get out instead of getting in deeper.
Controlling the drug trade has been part of wars of conquest for a long time. The Japanese were adept at it in China pre-WWII. KMT residua in the Golden Triangle continued the business with the CIA during the Vietnam War. Air America and Southern Air Transport flew weapons into the highlands, heroin flew out. Laos = the surface of the Moon. Hasenfus. Planes flew weapons south to the contras, flew cocaine north to America. Crack cocaine = CIA. Gary Webb suicided. The other end of Iran-contra, weapons into Iran, heroin out through the Bekaa Valley to the West. Monser al-Kassar, arms dealer/drug dealer/friend to terrorists. 2001: While Mohammed Atta was learning how to crash airliners at Wally Hilliard’s flight school in Florida one of his planes was busted at Orlando International with forty pounds of heroin. Wally was never charged. Victor Bout flew weapons for US forces into Afghanistan, flew heroin out; and flew weapons for al Qaeda.
So what’s so special about this story?
Yesterday I was called for jury duty. The only black face in the courtroom was the defendant. I’ll just say drugs were involved. The drug war. Same principle as the Japanese used in WWII. Subjugate. Create a surplus labor pool.
Same as it ever was.
Just another reason why sane drug policy is a complete non-starter.
Bob, your post is down right depressing. Seems like some things never change, especially where the almighty dollar is concerned. Looks like the Empire is drowning in its own corruption the way empires always do.
For ten dollars a day I promise not to attack any US military forces in Afghanistan. At least until I get a better offer.
With all due deference to a fine writer and a fine blog, you and everyone else in the blogosphere is missing the biggest point: The CIA has been pulling sh*t like this from the time it was the OSS. That doesn’t forgive the practice, but let’s not be willfully blind to the fact that it began long before Dubya rolled into town.
We’ve written about that before.
Arms Dealers, Terrorism and Banking Regulations
Is Sibel Edmonds On the Level?
From the Memory Hole
Memory Hole: War, Intelligence, and the Mafia
Good. But a wee bit of perspective doesn’t hurt.
If there is a legitimate reason to go up against the Taliban in Afghanistan, I’m not seeing what’s wrong with using money to accomplish the goal. Why is that somehow worse than sending in troop and killing off civilians with drones? Money has destroyed more societies than all the armies and weapons on the planet — including our own. If the Taliban is really our enemy, why would we hold back on the real nuclear option?
I couldn’t care less about the poppy growers. The “drug problem” is at our end, not theirs. If we really cared about the addict “victims” over here, there’s a great solution: end the drugwar and remove the profit motive for producers and dealers. Since that’s not even a speakable idea, obviously the concern is about power, not the end users.
It’s getting to look more like Vietnam all the time. I seem to recall the CIA and poppies (remember Laos, the “Golden Triangle”) got thst one started as well.
I second Bob in Pacifica’s comment.
I am however a little surprised at just how little people seem to “know” about the Karzai family. Is it worth doing an article on them or what?
I’ll say this just for short: Hamid Karzai in 1999 was an American citizen living in Baltimore, MD speaking perfect English.
For a whole variety of reasons, he is (and remains) extremely USEFUL in a realpolitik sense but what he never has been in some kind of honest Afghan “patriot” and neither has any member of his extended, very AMERICAN family.
Pax
.
Karzai was born in Kandahar, the Capital of Southern Afghanistan, in December 1957. His father was a representative of Kandahar in the Afghani Parliament during the rule of King Mohammed Zahir Shah. It can be said that Karzai inherited Popalzai‘s respect for his father who had much influence with clans and also had wealth that enabled his son, Hamid, to complete his studies. He completed the basic stage of his studies in Kandahar schools then in the Afghani capital’s schools. After that, Hamid was sent to India. In 1983, he obtained a BSc. Degree from Himchal Pradesh, Shimlah, India. Immediately after he completed his studies, he returned to Pakistan where his family had immigrated because of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.
It is known that the CIA was in contact with Afghani fighters during the Cold War. Karzai was then the go-between between the decision making circles in Washington and many leaders of Afghani Jihad. It is widely thought that there were strong relationships between one of his brothers and influential figures in the US Administration while Hamid was studying in India. Therefore, all brothers emigrated to the USA during 1880s and established a chain of restaurants while Hamid was still shuttling between Islam Abad and Quwaita in Pakistan. He entered Kabul with Afghani fighters who overthrew the communistic government of Najuibullah in 1992. As a reward, this ambitious young man was appointed as deputy to foreign minister Dr. Abdullah Abdullah.
It is certain that Karzai was one of those who signed a document that supported the Taliban when the movement emerged in Qandahar. In this way, he joined the movement especially because their initial declarations did not reveal any intentions of seizing power. Karzai tried to sell them the idea of adopting Loya Jirga (concept of Tribal Shura) which would return the deposed king to Kabul. However, Pakistani Intelligence System had already dominated and motivated the movement towards assuming power. Karzai opposed the movement and declared publicly that he was against Pakistani intervention. As a result, his father Abdul Ahad Karzai was assassinated while he was leaving a mosque in Quwaita. The son was ordered to leave Pakistan within 48 hours in July, 1999. He joined his brothers in the USA.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."