Afghanistan falling apart at the seams

The deplorable situation in Afghanistan tends to deteriorate as violence explodes in the north and east of the country, forcing Hamid Karzai to change his discourse.

After insinuating that the death of the Tourism and Aviation Minister, Abdul Rahman, was indirectly caused by two ministers not directly under his control, Hamid Karzai changes his discourse.

Hamid Karzai had previously insinuated that Defence Minister Mohammed Qassim Fahim and Interior Minister Younis Qanooni, both formerly of the Northern Alliance, had been responsible for the death, in which the Minister was kicked to death before a howling mob in broad daylight in Kabul airport.

However, at a press conference yesterday in Kabul, called to speak about the question of security after German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer cancelled his visit, Hamid Karzai declared that “Each member of the government acted exactly like a Minister of Afghanistan and not a Minister of a Party”.

At a time when Karzai cannot even guarantee the safety of his Ministers in Kabul, fighting broke out between Tadjik and Uzbekh soldiers in the northern province of Samangan, causing four deaths, while in the east, in the province of Khost, clashes between two tribes caused seven victims, although it is not clear whether these are dead or wounded.

Meanwhile an Australian member of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has been killed by a land mine, the Americans at Kandahar have been attacked twice by Taleban forces, a British observation post has come under fire and there are recent reports of British paratroopers opening fire on a passing car, in which a pregnant woman was being taken to hospital.

Coupled with the American bombing raid yesterday in Khost, which murdered one person and wounded four, all from the Afghan security forces, and we have a picture of a country on the verge of implosion.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru