Hamid Karzai

Did you see the looks on the faces of the West Point cadets Tuesday night as President Barack Obama promised them a future of intensified war in Central Asia? They didn't seem thrilled, even as their commander-in-chief reminded them they volunteered for service. Applause was scarce and tepid. That was the only good thing about this occasion. As predicted, the strategy - a troop surge in Afghanistan - laid out in this long-anticipated speech was one of compromise, deception and self-delusion, delivered with all the man's oratorical flair, but as empty at its core as any political speech I have ever watched or listened to. We are supposed to believe him when he says we will exit Afghanistan by sending 30,000 more soldiers and Marines there, by becoming more involved in its affairs and those of neighboring Pakistan, and that we will be able to begin some disengagement within a year and a half.

Let's see: Our Wisconsin Supreme Court is choking each other. Our New Jersey lawmakers are threatening to punch each other in the head. But when it comes to crazy fights in government, we're still way behind Afghanistan.  At least the fight in their Parliament was over something important: The impeachment of President Hamid Karzai. Our conflicts have generally been over such noble causes as getting even after personal slights.  Nevertheless, this showdown raised once again that timeless question: Which would you rather get hit by?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai wants U.S. Special Forces to pull out of certain areas because of alleged wrongdoing. We should pull out of that entire cesspool at once and then stand aside and see how long he lasts! Sometimes you get what you don't ask for. F. Cordell Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

Every day you read something about Afghan President Hamid Karzai complaining that the U.S. military or the U.S. government did this or that which affected his country in an adverse way ("Hagel's shaky Afghan debut," March 12). When are we going to pull away from protecting him and his brothers-in-corruption and let the chips fall where they may for him and his ungrateful nation? Why should U.S. and NATO soldiers continue to die to keep this person in power? F. Cordell Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

The month's death toll so far: 55 Eight U.S. soldiers died Tuesday in two attacks, both of which involved improvised explosive devices and occurred in a province that is seen as an insurgent stronghold. October is the third month out of the past four that U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan hit a record. Taliban targets U.N., Afghan vote Gunmen attacked a guest house used by United Nations staff in the Afghan capital of Kabul early today, killing at least seven people including three U.N. staff, officials said.

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The new chairman of Afghanistan's parliament, Yunus Qanooni, said yesterday he would resign as leader of the opposition and support the government of Afghanistan in the interests of the people. His comments, at a news conference in the parliament building, were seen as a peace offering to President Hamid Karzai, whom he has opposed since leaving the government in 2004 to run against him in the presidential race. "I cannot at the same time be chairman of the House of People and opposition of the government," he said as representatives were voting for the two deputy chairmen of the parliament.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a very weak excuse recently when, in response to recent insurgent strikes in Kabul, he stated that the "attack showed a 'failure' by Afghanistan intelligence and NATO" ("Attacks in Kabul show vulnerability," April 17). In my opinion, this statement should be considered an extreme embarrassment to Mr. Karzai. As anyone else who is as keenly interested as I am should be well aware, this raging conflict between the Taliban rebels and the Afghanistan government and their military forces is, and has been for some time, in desperate need of much stronger support from the U.S and NATO troops in order to quell a challenging problem.

From media accounts, the war in Afghanistan has hit a disturbing snag which was precipitated by President Hamid Karzai's recent remarks following the U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's visit, when he accused the Taliban terrorists and America of being in cahoots with each other ("Hagel's shaky Afghan debut," March 12). This should solidify President Barack Obama's plans to withdraw our troops from this area by the end of 2014, and I would suggest even sooner after hearing Mr. Karzai's stinging remarks.

An Afghan named Abdul Rahman, who converted to Christianity in the early 1990s, is now on trial for apostasy and faces the death penalty. His estranged family brought the lawsuit that put him in jeopardy. The courts in Afghanistan are controlled by extremely conservative Islamic judges, and though there is international pressure on President Hamid Karzai to intervene, it would be at great political cost, and he has declined to get involved. Mr. Rahman was told by the judge hearing his case that if he reconverts back to Islam, he will be let go. He says he would just as soon die for his faith; wary prosecutors are now exploring the idea that he is insane.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan signaled an improvement in relations between their two countries after an unusually cordial meeting here yesterday and called for greater cooperation in fighting terrorism. Karzai was on a two-day visit to the Pakistani capital, where he would also meet with the opposition politician Benazir Bhutto, a statement from the Afghan president's office said. Bhutto is contesting parliamentary elections scheduled for January.