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Part II

By Lt Col P

President Karzai began his second administration today. As we have noted before, the election that got him to this point wasn't all that it could be, and the run-off that wasn't certainly didn't make things much clearer.

Karzai was sworn in to a second five-year term by the head of the Supreme Court during a ceremony attended by hundreds of Afghan and foreign dignitaries from more than 40 countries. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and British Foreign Minister David Miliband were among them. Heavily armed soldiers stood beside armored personnel carriers at the gate to the palace.

Yet, it has to be reckoned a step forward. Afghanistan now has the beginnings of a record, tenuous perhaps, of peaceful transitions of power. Let's hopethis is the first of many. And let's hope he comes through on his pledges.

November 19, 2009 04:13 AM Afghanistan

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Comments

Someone can stick a gun in your face and steal your car. Someone can also buy your car and give you a bad check or counterfeit money for it. The second way is really a big step forward. Until you go and demand your car back and get a gun stuck in your face.

Curt Kastens · November 19, 2009 12:48 PM

Curt Kastens · November 19, 2009 12:49 PM

I am not sure if transitioning from the incumbent, to the incumbent really qualifies as a peaceful transition. Fighting is still going on around the country, the festivities had to be protected by a ring of soldiers in armored vehicles etc. Peaceful transition? Okay, since that means nobody tried to kill Karzai during the ceremony. Maybe he is seen as not worth the effort?

Matt · November 20, 2009 05:13 AM

Matt:

Good comment. I ought to have qualified it with "unmarked by conspicuous violence."

LtCol P · November 23, 2009 05:49 AM