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Officials: Karzai Blindsided U.S. Embassy With Contractor-Ban Announcement
Newsweek ^ | August 17, 2010 | Mark Hosenball

Posted on 08/17/2010 6:23:01 PM PDT by Pan_Yan

Afghan President Hamid Karzai failed to give the American Embassy in Kabul advance notice that he was about to issue an edict ordering private security companies operating in Afghanistan to fold up shop within four months. Two senior U.S. officials, who asked for anonymity when discussing sensitive information, tell Declassified that embassy officials had been talking for months with Karzai about what his government could do to clean up corruption problems involving such contractors, particularly contractors operating in the south of the country, whose important duties include providing security for official and private supply convoys. But the officials say that Karzai gave no advance notice to the embassy or other U.S. officials that he would attempt to address the problem with the radical step of trying to outlaw such contractors with the stroke of a pen.

The U.S. officials say that while the Obama administration is willing, if not keen, to work with Karzai to improve regulation or supervision of security contractors—and even to force bad ones out of business—setting a four-month deadline is impractical. If this deadline is enforced, the officials warn, it could cause chaos and put lives of both American officials and nongovernment relief workers in jeopardy.

...

The Obama administration's immediate plan appears to be to try to persuade Karzai to, at the very least, postpone the effective date of his decree. Public comments by administration officials have been cautious, however. When State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley was asked about the four-month deadline at his public briefing on Monday, he said, "I can't comment on the four-month deadline. I haven't seen that particular aspect. I think we rely on security contractors, and we'll work with the government of Afghanistan on a realistic approach going forward."

(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; blackwater; karzai

1 posted on 08/17/2010 6:23:04 PM PDT by Pan_Yan
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To: Pan_Yan

Looks like the most correct Afghan gov officials are trying to cut out their non-government actor competition for the security shakedown skim on Coalition supply lines security.


2 posted on 08/17/2010 6:29:53 PM PDT by JerseyHighlander
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To: Pan_Yan
Bad mouthing American contractors, particularly Blackwater (Xe), has been a blood sport for the Democrats since the war in Iraq and Afghanistan started.

Blackwater, manned by former Seals, rangers and Special Forces, have done a superb job. There will be unnecessary loss of life without the protection they provide, IMO.

3 posted on 08/17/2010 6:36:27 PM PDT by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaeda" and its allies.)
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To: elpadre
There will be unnecessary loss of life without the protection they provide, IMO.

This might not be entirely bad. Don't they do security for the Department of Communist Infiltration State? /sarc

4 posted on 08/17/2010 6:46:53 PM PDT by Repeat Offender (The buck, it seems, never gets to Obama; a surprise considering how many they print)
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To: Pan_Yan
If this blindsided the State Dept it is evidence of the gross incompetence of the stink-boys under Clinton. They should have foreseen this coming a mile away.
5 posted on 08/17/2010 6:49:19 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: Repeat Offender

Without Blackwater, the State Department stationed in the ME may abandon their posts.


6 posted on 08/17/2010 7:15:15 PM PDT by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaeda" and its allies.)
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To: AdmSmith; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; bigheadfred; blueyon; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; ...
Hey, this wouldn't have happened if all those haters of the peace-loving Moslems would just stop making inflammatory and offensive statements about that Islamic community center project in NYC. Thanks Pan_Yan.
7 posted on 08/17/2010 7:48:18 PM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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