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thirdrail (Thursday, January 10)
Surpise, suprise.
So Afghanistan's "interim leader," Hamid Karzai, is a supporter of the "free market." Rather an odd name for an economic theory that maintains "there's no such thing as a free lunch." Karzai, whose chain of American eateries fattened his family's bank account, presumably abided by this principle.
Equally committed to speeding this bombed out and benighted land toward a bright capitalist tomorrow is another Afghan-born fellow, U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. He has also done quite well for himself while residing on our fair shores, and has long been attached to the more conservative elements within the Republican party. This successful pair will doubtless do their utmost to transform Afghanistan into a Candy Lane for corporate interests.
Mr. Khalilzad seems to have had something of a head start in this regard. Today's UK Independent reveals that back in 1997 Khalilizad, a "paid adviser to the oil multinational Unocal," participated "in talks with Taliban officials regarding the possibility of building highly lucrative gas and oil pipelines." Will post this report ASAP. - N. Camerota
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> Afghanistan's interim leader, Hamid Karzai, committed his interim administration to respecting a free market economy and freedom of speech and the press.
> In his first televised address to the nation since being sworn in to office on December 22, Karzai said his administration "supports a free market".
> "Social and economic progress in our country is dependent on a free market economy and private sector development," he told Afghan Television.> "The government will lessen its interference in economic affairs. This will pave the way for freedom and private sector initiative."
> Karzai said the Afghan constitution "guarantees freedom of speech and of the press, and also political and social freedom".> "The people will be allowed to take part in a free press. I agree with the constitution and I respect it."
> Freedom of economy and speech, he cautioned however, was limited by "national interest". He did not elaborate.> Karzai, whose administration will run Afghanistan for six months, said the greatest threat to peace and security in the country was the number of guns on the streets.
> "The rule of the gun is the greatest obstacle to everlasting peace and security in our country," he said.> He said he had given instructions to his security chiefs that armed factions should be incorporated into a national army as soon as possible.
> This army, he added, "can meet any threats to the national security of our country's independence and territorial independence."> A government official told AFP earlier Wednesday that Interior Minister Yunus Qanooni had ordered the Afghan military to quit Kabul within three days and leave security duties in the capital to Afghan police and an international peacekeeping force.
> Karzai highlighted reining in inflation as one of his administration's economic priorities.> Another would be to stabilize the printing of money in the country. Currently two banknotes are in circulation -- one in the north and another in the remainder of the country.
> "As an active member of the United Nations, the interim administration is faithful to all international laws and norms," Karzai said.> The interim leader also pledged to respect the Bonn agreement's timetable towards the restoration of democracy in the country.
> "The Bonn agreement has accorded great importance to the convening of an emergency loya jirga," he said, referring to a council of tribal elders that will appoint a transitional authority to take the place of the six-month interim administration he heads.> "The emergency loya jirga will be convened on time and will be inaugurated by a speech of his majesty the former king," he said, referring to ousted king Mohammad Zahir Shah, who has been living in Rome since 1973.
> A loya jirga, he added, had in the past often been convened to solve problems in Afghanistan.
> Infighting betwen rival Afghan factions during the 1992-1996 civil war, followed by fierce fighting by opposition forces against the now-ousted Taliban regime, he said, had reduced the country to ruin.> "Now is an appropriate time to convene a loya jirga," he said.
> Under the Bonn accord, which paved the way for the power-sharing interim administration, the loya jirga has to be convened within six months to appoint a transitional authority that will rule the country until democratic elections within two years. > > Copyright © 2001 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed in this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the contents of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presses. .Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com.
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