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Have we lost control in Afghanistan?
Has Hamid Karzai gone out of his mind, appointing a murderer, terrorist, rapist and sadist  like Rashid Dostum who has no value for human life or law as the new army chief? Hamid Karzai might as well put a revolver to his head and pull the trigger. Its a matter of time before Dostum over throws Hamid Karzai and takes control. More shocking is the praise and embrace by the US Ambassador to Afghanistan of Dostum on his new appointment. All Karzai has done is broadened Dostums territory over other warlords in Afghanistan. This man who has terrorized and abused people, is now the authorized military authority over the entire nation. Rashid Dostums crimes can be written under the same heading as those of Saddam Hussain. They could be called brothers. We overtook Afghanistan to bring freedom and Democracy to the people of Afghanistan, and chase the Taliban out of there. Yet we find ourselves making deals with warlords like Rashid Dostum. If we have to make deals with people like Rashid Dostum we should not have tried to oust Saddam Hussain. There is not much of a difference between the two. Seems we are dishonoring the sacrifices and valor of our dedicated soldiers who died in alien lands, by blessing Afghani war lords.

A prominent journalist, Ahmad Rashid who interviewed Dostum when he was fighting other war lords during the Taliban period, writes about Dostum, in his book 'Taliban'  ...  "The first time I arrived at the fort to meet Dostum there were bloodstains and pieces of flesh in the muddy courtyard. ­I innocently asked the guards if a goat had been slaughtered. They told me that an hour earlier Dostum had punished a soldier for stealing. The man had been tied to the tracks of a Russian-made tank, which then drove around the courtyard crushing his body into mincemeat, as the garrison and Dostum watched. The Uzbeks, the roughest and toughest of all the Central Asian nationalities, are noted for their love of marauding and pillaging — a hangover from their origins as part of Genghis Khan’s hordes and Dostum was an apt leader. Over six feet tall with bulging biceps, Dostum is a bear of a man with a gruff laugh, which, some Uzbeks swear, has on occasion frightened people to death."  Is he better then Saddam Hussain or worst?

Dostum has a history of betrayal, treachery and human rights violations. Is he the reincarnation of Saddam Hussain. To date he has betrayed everyone of his mentors. What makes Karzai different, and what is Dostum's love for the Americans? In March of 2003, Rashid Dostum defied Hamid Karzai by establishing a North Zone of Afghanistan. He was supported by the Russians, Iranians, and Uzebekistanians to manage the Pashtuns. Dostum may seem attractive to the US, for his opposition to the extremist fundamentalists. Its akin to appointing Al Capone as the Secretary of Defense. Dostum is a murderer, a drug trafficker, a rapist, and lot more. As we endeavor to bring Democracy to Afghanistan, Iraq and the rest of middle east, US needs to apply the same standards of democratic values that we use back home. Not too long ago Bernard Kerik had to withdraw his nomination, for the simple fact that he had failed to pay nanny taxes. Bernard Kerik raped or killed no one. Presidential candidates have withdrawn, or judges been refused appointments for some small infractions in their past. Yet we are embracing and lauding the appointment of Rashid Dostum.

In the days to come the future of Hamid Karzai will rest in the hands and good will of Rashid Dostum.  SW predicts that in the next year or so Karzai will be overthrown if not murdered by Dostum and once again Afghanistan will plunge into another struggle for power. Dostum is not accepted by the Pashtuns, Hazaras and others. What was Karzai thinking? Was he following orders from His Bosses who appointed Karzai. God have mercy on Afghanistan and its people who are the ultimate losers in this power struggle. To predict the future of Afghanistan one has to just read the history of Afghanistan after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and one will notice that most if not all events are being repeated with a different cast of characters, with slightly different time lines.

Are we still committed to fighting the war on drugs, since last year was the best harvest of opium in the history of Afghanistan and Dostum has historically financed his fiefdoms through narcotic trade. Also are we forgetting Dostum's close links to Iran?

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