Monday, June 4, 2012

The End Of An Era In Afghanistan

The Karzais in a copy of an undated photo. Top row: Shah Wali Karzai; Ahmed Wali Karzai; Hamid Karzai, now president; and Abdul Wali Karzai. Bottom row: Abdul Ahmad Karzai; Qayum Karzai; Abdul Ahad Karzai, the patriarch; and Mahmoud Karzai.

Intrigue In Karzai Family As An Afghan Era Closes -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — With the end in sight for Hamid Karzai’s days in office as Afghanistan’s president, members of his family are trying to protect their status, weighing how to hold on to power while secretly fighting among themselves for control of the fortune they have amassed in the last decade.

One brother, Qayum Karzai, is mulling a run for the presidency when his brother steps down in 2014. Other brothers have been battling over the crown jewel in the family empire — the largest private residential development in Afghanistan. The conflict over the project, known as Aino Mena, has provoked accusations of theft and extortion, even reports of an assassination plot.

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My Comment: Their time is up. They served a role right after the fall of the Taliban .... but are now a liability .... and worse .... a recruitment tool for those who are dissatisfied with the corruption that the family now spawns.

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