Obama’s Message in Afghanistan Speech: “The Era of the Blank Check for President Karzai is Over”
EmailWhile tomorrow night's speech will have many audiences — the American people, international allies, the Afghan government, a senior administration official tells ABC News one key message will resonate with all of them: "The era of the blank check for President Karzai is over."
Senior administration officials tell ABC News that as part of President Obama's speech and his new policy will come some news President Karzai will not welcome.
Instead of US resources going to Karzai's national government, much of it will be targeted at local governments at the province and district level and at specific ministries, such as those devoted to Afghan security.
"Investments will be based on performance," a senior administration official told ABC News. And if Karzai continues to run a government that is full of corruption and fails to provide basic services, he may find himself out of the loop entirely.
“It's time for a new chapter in our relationship as it relates to corruption and improved governance,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said today.
After the fraud riddled election in October, President Obama took a stern tone with Karzai both privately and publicly, arguing that the investment the American people have made in his country — both in terms of billions spent and thousands of troops killed and wounded — was not open-ended.
Mr. Obama was heartened to hear that Karzai spent much of his inaugural address discussing corruption and set up an anti-corruption task force 10 days ago. But the president is far from satisfied, aides say.
Last night in the Oval Office the President met with his team and told them his decision: around 30,000 new US troops and a strategy based more on fighting terrorism than nation-building, a threat the president will outline in more detail tomorrow night.
Mr. Obama then went to the Situation Room where he gave the news via teleconference to the top military man and the top diplomat in Afghanistan — General Stanley McChrystal, who asked for at least 40,000 more troops, and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry who warned the president in classified cables of his concerns about sending more troops with Karzai in power.
“Both of those individuals felt very good about our way forward,” Gibbs said at his briefing today.
President Obama much of today consulting key US allies, including the heads of Denmark, France, Russia and the UK. He also met at the White House with the prime minister of Australia, who sent more troops to Afghanistan earlier this year.
“Australia takes its alliance with the united states very seriously,” Rudd said. “That's why we have been with America for a long time in Afghanistan and why we will be with America for the long haul.”
-jpt
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So does that mean Karzai has to send his brother to jail?
hahaha
Posted by: strongerthandirt | November 30, 2009, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm
Mr. Karzai is the elected president of that country and a few million of his citizens did vote for him, so im not sure we or Obama have any right to question his legitimate claim to power. Would it be ok for him to question Obama as not legitimate because of some of the things that Acorn or some of the dishonest things that have come up involving senators and house members.
Posted by: earl | November 30, 2009, 7:04 pm 7:04 pm
Hurray! “Instead of US resources going to Karzai’s national government, much of it will be targeted at local governments at the province and district level and at specific ministries, such as those devoted to Afghan security.” Karzai has been an obstacle. A new congress in Afghanistan should impeach him and his cronies. The people of Afghanistan need to build their own nation and US assisted security for no more than two years should be plenty.
Posted by: TX_MBell | November 30, 2009, 7:07 pm 7:07 pm
Well gee, things should go smoothly now.
Posted by: Huh | November 30, 2009, 7:37 pm 7:37 pm
im not sure we or Obama have any right to question his legitimate claim to power. Would it be ok for him to question Obama as not legitimate
earl | Nov 30, 2009 7:04:40 PM
To be fair, Karzai also has the right to threaten to withdraw his billions of dollars per year of support and million dollar per year per troop (and priceless per death) forces securing the US for Obama’s government at any time.
Posted by: jhw539 | November 30, 2009, 8:04 pm 8:04 pm
“It’s time for a new chapter in our relationship as it relates to corruption and improved governance,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said today.
Was Gibbs referring to Obama on this one?
Posted by: Prez Oblunder | November 30, 2009, 8:08 pm 8:08 pm
Barack H. Obama: Tough Guy
(well, at least with those he thinks he can push around such a Karzai and the Honduran government…not so much with the Mullahs, the Chinese, the Russians, Reid & Pelosi, Chavez, Ortega, the Castro Brothers, etc., etc., etc….the list goes on)
Posted by: tjp612 | November 30, 2009, 8:36 pm 8:36 pm
Mr. Karzai is the elected president of that country and a few million of his citizens did vote for him, so im not sure we or Obama have any right to question his legitimate claim to power.
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Uhm . . . i think the hundreds of thousands of confirmed counterfeit contribute to how we assess this situation.
Posted by: tierra | November 30, 2009, 9:19 pm 9:19 pm
*counterfeit voting ballots that is . ..
Posted by: tierra | November 30, 2009, 9:29 pm 9:29 pm
Barack H. Obama: Tough Guy
well, at least with those he thinks he can push around such a Karzai and the Honduran government…not so much with the Mullahs, the Chinese, the Russians, Reid & Pelosi, Chavez, Ortega, the Castro Brothers, etc., etc., etc….the list goes on)
Posted by: tjp612 | Nov 30, 2009 8:36:04 PM
___________________________________
Yes, we get it. Everything the President does is wrong for you – and you feel compelled to smear him every day on this blog. Whoopee . . .
Please start reading something besides blogs from right wing amateurs. Comments limited to parroted talking points are shallow and worse than useless. It’s just a string of names, with no reasoning applied whatsoever.
Posted by: tierra | November 30, 2009, 9:37 pm 9:37 pm
When will the era of the blank check for Iran be over??
Posted by: Appeasement Czar | December 1, 2009, 10:02 am 10:02 am
“well, at least with those he thinks he can push around such a Karzai and the Honduran government.”
Posted by: tjp612 | Nov 30, 2009 8:36:04 PM
Next in Obama’s crosshairs:
The freely and overwhelmingly elected conservative government of Porfirio Lobo Sosa in Honduras.
Posted by: Appeasement Czar | December 1, 2009, 10:06 am 10:06 am
I would say that the era of the blank check for Mr. Obama is nearly over. He is very much overdrawn in the adoring media department.
Posted by: Terry | December 1, 2009, 10:47 am 10:47 am
This must be some kind of a joke!
The President who leads the Party of
Charlie Rangel, Maxine Waters,
Chris Dodd, etc lecturing Karzai on
corruption in Afganistan?
Give me a break.
This is just an excuse for the Dems
to do what they have always done since
the end of WWII, “cut and run”!
We should not undermine Karzai because like him or not at least he supports
our overall efforts and has control
of the country for now.
The last time politicians in this
country got up on their “high horse”
about an allys leader it was in reference to the Shah of Iran!
How’s that working out for you
holier than thou liberals?
Get real, Mr President!
Either fight to win the war or pull
the troops out Now!
Don’t waste the blood of our troops
on political games!
Posted by: reaganfan | December 1, 2009, 11:29 am 11:29 am
The President who leads the Party of
Charlie Rangel, Maxine Waters,
Chris Dodd, etc lecturing Karzai on
corruption in Afganistan?
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Over a million fradulent ballots for Karzai in the last election . . . do some research.
Posted by: tierra | December 1, 2009, 2:38 pm 2:38 pm
How many fradulent ballots for the democrats in the elections of 2008?
Posted by: Terry | December 1, 2009, 2:52 pm 2:52 pm
How many fradulent ballots for the democrats in the elections of 2008?
_________________________________
How many?
Or is this just yet another unsubstantiated smear from the pathetic right?
Posted by: tierra | December 1, 2009, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm