%5E2703,00.html
The Australian:
US envoy accused of being the power pulling Karzai's strings
As Afghanistan heads to the polls, there is growing suspicion that
the fix is in, writes Catherine Philp in Kabul
October 05, 2004
AS Hamid Karzai stepped forward to cut the ribbon across the entrance
to Kabul's rebuilt national museum, a tall grey-haired man in a sharp
suit stood beside him. The same man was present when the Afghan
President opened a new dormitory at Kabul university. And he was
there again as Mr Karzai arrived by helicopter in a dusty northern
province to open a new road.
He is the US ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, who has
been nicknamed "The Viceroy" for the influence he wields over the
Karzai Government.
In recent weeks, candidates in the presidential election to be held
on Saturday have accused the US envoy of taking on a new role -- that
of campaign manager for Mr Karzai -- in an exercise whose success is
vital for the re-election hopes of George W. Bush.
Mr Karzai has long been seen as the US's man, and his backers have
done little to challenge that perception. In the past week, the US
ambassador has appeared three times at Mr Karzai's side at the
opening of US-funded reconstruction projects, even when they have not
been completed.
The museum's end wall stood unfinished and unplastered as the ribbon
was cut. The new road to Shibarghan petered out into rubble long
before it reached the town, so the ceremony was held in the middle of
the desert.
Rival candidates have complained to Afghanistan's election commission
over the legality of the support the US provides to Mr Karzai, from
Chinook helicopters to his well-armed bodyguards.
Most serious of all, opposition candidates are claiming the US is
pressuring them to drop out of the race or seek deals. They contend
that such interference could damage the credibility of what is being
hailed as the first truly democratic election in Afghanistan's
troubled history.
Leading candidate Mohammed Mohaqiq was preparing to launch his
presidential bid when Mr Khalilzad offered him a deal to pull out of
the election in return for cabinet posts for his men.
Mr Mohaqiq asked the Americans to pay for a road through his tribal
heartland. He said Mr Khalilzad readily agreed. When he decided
against the deal, he claimed the ambassador called his party
colleagues and tribal associates and asked them to help persuade him.
"I am not the only one he has visited -- he has done the same thing
with many other candidates," he said. "We all know the Americans are
not interested in a real election, they just want Karzai to win."
Mr Khalilzad denies claims he has offered candidates deals in return
for their dropping out of the race.
The candidates say that since the allegations became public, US
officials have made strenuous efforts to assure them Washington has
no favourites. But few are convinced, giving rise to the growing
perception that the election will be a US fix.
"It is very shameful what the Americans are doing," said Mohammed
Qasim, a vice-presidential candidate on an opposition ticket. "They
came here to end terrorism, not to interfere in our elections and
impose their will on us."
Mr Karzai's frenzy of ribbon-cutting has angered those with less
tangible achievements to show off. After two years of doling out
reconstruction funds, the Bush administration has pumped in an extra
$US1.76billion ($2.44 billion) this election year.
But Mr Karzai's image as the US's man cuts both ways with Afghans: to
those who strongly resents the US presence he is Washington's stooge,
to the more pragmatic, his close relations with the wealthy West are
a boon.
Mr Karzai would probably be a runaway favourite without any US
meddling, but the perception that the election is a done deal is
gaining currency among the educated elite, fuelling cynicism and
apathy.
"It's a dangerous game the Americans are playing," Afghanistan
Research and Evaluation Unit analyst Andrew Wilder said.
"The American ambassador accompanying him everywhere is undermining
his credibility. It confirms to the Afghans that Khalilzad is the
real power in the country and that there is more interest in the
outcome than in having a meaningful process."
The Times
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