Afghan President's Troubling Claims

“With every passing day Afghan President Hamid Karzai seems to be proving himself an even less reliable partner for the international community in Afghanistan. Recent claims by Karzai that it was the international community, not his administration, that engaged in fraud in last year’s elections are nothing less than absurd. If Karzai is not willing to take serious action to stem corruption and promote good governance in Afghanistan, there is little that the international community can do to help bring lasting security to that country and pressure will mount to bring the troops home,” says Asia Society Executive Vice President Jamie Metzl.

Jamie, who is in New York, served as an election observer in the August 2009 Afghan elections. His most recent column is “Afghanistan Is Lost Without Better Governance.” To arrange an interview, contact the Asia Society communications department at 212-327-9271 or pr@asiasoc.org.