by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright January 13, 2002
All Rights Reserved.

.S. must deal with reality and pull the financial plug on Afghan interim Prime Minister Hamid Karzai. Double-crossing the U.S. for the second time, Karzai turned loose Nooruddin Turabi, the brutal one-eyed, one-legged Taliban justice minister, together with several other high-ranking Taliban officials, found guilty of atrocities and wanted by U.S. authorities. Turabi architected the cruel public amputations and executions in Kabul Stadium, recreating the Taliban's sadistic version of the Roman Arena. It was Turabi's perverted interpretation of Islamic law that ordered unspeakable crimes against Afghan women—the subject of a CNN documentary called "Beneath the Veil." With the slippery Osama bin Laden and key Al Qaeda outlaws still at large and the one-eyed Mullah Mohammed Omar on the run, Karzai slapped the U.S. one more time. Like a snake, he asks for billions in U.S. aid and, simultaneously, bites America in the rear. Now in power, Karzai seems more obsessed with surviving than helping U.S. authorities.

      Back in November, Karzai struck a secret deal for the surrender of Kandahar, permitting Mullah Mohammed Omar to plunder millions of dollars from the central bank and escape under the wing of Kandahar's warlord Gov. Gul Agha. Given faulty anti-Taliban intelligence, U.S.-led coalition forces have futilely chased Omar since November, recently surrounding him in mountainous Baghram district, only to have him escape again. Karzai's recent shenanigans threw U.S. authorities for a loop—calling into question whether the U.S. can still do business with Afghan's newly minted prime minister. "Obviously individuals of that stature in the Taliban leadership are of great interest to the United States, and we would expect them to be turned over," said Gen. Richard Meyers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, putting the best face on a bad situation. Great expectations quickly turned into a public relations nightmare for the White House. Karzai is less credible than Qatar's vehemently anti-Western Al Jezzera TV.

      When Karzai turned loose Mullah Mohammed Omar in November, the U.S. threatened to cut off aid. Now that he's done it again, it's time to fulfill the promise. Karzai's fledgling government must understand repercussions of double-crossing the White House. Once Omar's handed over to U.S. authorities, aid requests can be resubmitted. Before then, the coffers must be shut. Unlike Bin Laden, Omar lacks the deep pockets to buy his way to indefinite freedom. His cash will eventually run out, leaving bounty hunters plenty of chance to sell him out. No longer can the U.S. accept feeble justifications from various "tribal elders," "warlords," and self-appointed spokesmen. "Those men who have surrendered are our brothers and we have allowed them to live in a peaceful manner. They will not be handed over to America," said Jalal Khan, a spokesman for Kandahar Gov. Gul Agha, reminding the press that, yes, Karzai guaranteed dangerous Taliban fugitives safe haven.

      From the get go, U.S. authorities knew that Karzai made slippery secret deals with key Taliban officials. What the U.S. didn't know was that the new Afghan leader intended to double-cross the U.S.—not his Pushtun brothers. Unlike the venerable anti-Taliban warrior Shah Massoud, Karzai is a shrewd realist who knows he's one bullet away from losing power. "From the very start, we have said when they surrender, and give up their guns and their cars, they will be given amnesty," Khan said, totally contradicting the official U.S. position that all Taliban renegades must be handed over to coalition forces. Bombing questionable targets and playing cat-and-mouse with Mullah Mohammed Omar can't go on indefinitely. With Osama bin Laden long gone, capturing Omar would be welcomed news, especially as Americans grow impatient with U.S. progress and grapple with a listless economy. All the "hunt 'em down" and "smoke 'em out" talk has been replaced with new calls to move the war to other fronts. But without capturing Bin Laden or Omar, and key Al Qaeda and Taliban officials, it's going to be difficult spinning "victory" in Afghanistan.

      Getting intelligence from Afghan authorities no longer pays off. "Probably, Mullah Mohammed Omar is still in the north of Helmand province around Baghran," said Khlid Pashtoon, a spokesman for the corrupt Kandahar warlord Gov. Gul Agha, misleading U.S. authorities. This is, after all, the same person who justified turning loose several high-ranking Taliban officials. At this point, it seems clear Afghan authorities—from Kabul to Kandahar—no longer provide credible intelligence regarding the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden or Mullah Mohammed Omar. "Baghram is a very big, mountainous area. It is difficult to find him quickly. Thousands of our forces are looking for him, he can't escape from us," Pashtoon said, continuing to blow smoke about their commitment to capturing Omar. Now that Karzai's in control, he's far more concerned about consolidating power than aiding the U.S. mission. Let's face it: Afghan's resent foreign intervention, and have no intention of betraying their comrades to help the White House. At this point, handing cash to Karzai is like giving Enron another line of credit.

      Making secret deals, carving up the country and handing it over to the same corrupt warlords that preceded the Taliban, Karzai can no longer be trusted to further U.S. interests. "In some ways, in terms of warlords, we're back to where we were before Sept. 11, really kind of quickly," said Andrew Hess, an Afghan expert at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. If there's any chance of getting Mullah Mohammed Omar, the U.S. must immediately suspend all Afghan aid pending his capture. "It's unclear which allies of convenience . . . can become real allies in the longer term," said Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, reluctant to denounce Karzai but recognizing that he's no real friend of the U.S. Continuing to pretend that Karzai's on our side invites the misleading intelligence, perpetuates faulty expectations, and sends U.S. troops on a risky goose chase. U.S. officials—including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld—must wake up to the fact that Karzai talks a good game but has no intention of fighting America's battles. Karzai's lip service won't capture Osama bin Laden or Mullah Mohammed Omar—cutting off his allowance would send a very different message.

About the Author

John M. Curtis is editor of OnlineColumnist.com and columnist for the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He's director of a Los Angeles think tank specializing in political consulting and strategic communication. He's author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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