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| Hamid Karzai (Image: Wiki Commons) |
By Zachary Keck
All signs suggest that Hamid Karzai is considering a coup to stay in power in Afghanistan.
As Afghanistan’s political crisis continues unabated, the New York Times reports that some members of the Karzai administration are considering seizing power.
“A coterie of powerful Afghan government ministers and officials with strong ties to the security forces are threatening to seize power if an election impasse that has paralyzed the country is not resolved soon,” the report states. It goes on to note that the officials would create an interim government after taking over, and would portray their actions as necessary to shore up democracy in the country over the long-term. The story’s reporter, Matthew Rosenberg (formerly of the Wall Street Journal, and an insightful observer of Afghanistan), also notes that the move is partially in reaction to fears that Afghanistan’s non-Pashtuns intend to seize power.
Rosenberg indicates that the security forces and President Hamid Karzai are not directly involved in the planning. However, he cites unnamed officials within the Karzai administration and Afghan bureaucracy as saying the move is being actively considered, while also citing some named officials, including Umar Daudzai, Afghanistan’s interior minister, as saying nearly the same thing, only with more diplomatic double talk.
Read the full story at The Diplomat