Until elders are “happy,” Karzai promises the operation will not happen
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has promised to delay or even cancel a major NATO offensive, in response to the frustration of tribal elders in Kandahar province. Last week, the president attended a shura of 1,500 tribal leaders and elders in Kandahar, attempting to rally support for a major NATO operation set to be carried out against the Taliban in the war-torn province this summer. Karzai was instead overwhelmed by complaints and accusations of corruption and misrule, and appeared to offer the group veto power. “Are you happy or unhappy for the operation to be carried out?” he asked. The elders shouted back: “We are not happy.” “Then until the time you say you are happy, the operation will not happen,” Karzai replied.