Who Gains Who Loses After Laden's Death

PERSPECTIVE
TUESDAY, May 10, 2011

US President Barack Obama - THUMBS UP

The US President has seen his dismal approvals surge by as much as 15 percent points. More usefully, killing Obama bin Laden has killed off Republicans claims he was a security wimp. But it isn't all politics. Obama has been just as determined as George W. Bush on destroying Al Qaeda.

Indian PM Manmohan Singh - SMALL UP

India gains because Pakistan is down. Sort of. India has been busy pointing out that the Pakistani military is in ca boots with every possible terrorist you can name. But Singh is too focussed on his peace drive to make much of what's happening in Afghanistan. Perhaps Kayani will be more realistic about his country's future - in which case the talks may actually be fruitful.

General Ashfaq Kayani of Pakistan Army - BIG DOWN

There is strong speculation the Pakistani army chief will be told to retire. Otherwise, Kayani was looking good. He had Hamid Karzai over a barrel, Manmohan Singh in a corner. The US was pumping in billions. He could still win Afghanistan but for many Pakistanis he will just bet the soldier who let the country's guard down.

Al Qaeda - BIG DOWN

Given that so many of its affiliates and members had sworn oath of fealty to Bin Laden himself the groups main problem will be keeping everything together. Al Qaeda needs some spectacular evil otherwise it may find itself overtaken by other, younger terror groups. We know one thing: Ayman al Zawahiri, the bookish number two, won't hack it when it comes to street cred.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai - SMALL UP

After the Abbottabad incident, Karzai crowed how it had once again been shown that terrorism wasn't an Afghan phenomenon, it was a Pakistani one. But he still has too few options. He's being forced to seek talks with the Taliban and toe the Pakistani line. Bin Laden's death may help, but his problems are Af and Pak, not Arab.

Taliban - POTENTIAL UP

The Taliban are a cluster of Afghan militant groups. Their friendship with the Arab-dominated Al Qaeda made them the targets of the US military machine. They now have the chance to become bigger than everyone. If they play their cards right they could get the US to begin leaving Afghanistan. If they play them better they could end up ruling Kabul again.

Karzai Accuses Western Accounting Firms For Kabul Bank's Turmoil

By ETHAN Markoff

AFGHANISTAN NEWS - President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai Monday has blamed Western financial firms for corruption and disability to recognize the problems of Kabul's largest bank. It is reported that some Afghan officials have already traveled to Washington to present their plan to decimate the bank.

At a news conference, President Karzai consolidated depositors of Kabul bank about the safety of their money and asked for prosecution of foreign accounting firms along with those shareholders who still to pay illegitimate loans.

He blamed international organizations and foreign firms who took millions of dollars to improve the banking system, hoaxed their job. He further said the accounting firms provided the Central Bank with inaccurate information and cheated Afghanistan government.

He stressed on three firms: Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Deloitte and Bearing Point for the reason of turmoil of Afghanistan's largest bank. It is noted that one of the affiliates of Pricewaterhouse Coopers performed an audit on the bank and after three months trouble started brewing. Other two firms Deloitte and BearingPoint had a contract from the United States Agency of International Development to help Central Bank to evaluate and betterment of banking system.

Afghan officials who have gone to Washington, are expected to present a plan to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank so that the Central Bank can recover from some loss. The plan includes selling off assets from borrowers who still to pay their loans. The plan also have suggestion for a buyer for the working parts of the institution, for example, distribution network for government salaries.

It is appeared that President Karzai speech aimed to make people prepare for the bank's dismantling. The speech also sounded like his earlier ones about Western interests, and particularly American interests, had harmed Afghanistan.

The blame game is on from both sides. Some Western officials suspected a bribery case where bank's financial situation was erased by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Some also believed the bank's shareholders, all of whom are Afghans bribed the foreign accounting firms to whitewash the facts.

An European diplomat warned that Mr. Karzai’s frequent bashing would be prove to be fatal, especially in Europe where people were reluctant to support the war and taxpayers could quickly turn against it.

“The appetite of the taxpayers and the governments are going to be very little, especially since this appetite is not getting good news from the theater,” the diplomat said.

Mr. Karzai in recent times frequently bashed the Western countries for the Afghanistan turmoil situation, spending billions of dollars on the country and risking soldiers. In a recent public appearance he also questioned about NATO involvement in Afghanistan. However, he later clarified his remark was specific as he believed to cease military operations to avoid civilian casualties.

Karzai Asks Taliban Leader To Lend Hand For Peace Process

Hamid Karzai

By ONE Liners Agency

AFGHANISTAN News - Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai marked his Id-al-Fitr with an optimistic note, asking Taliban Leader Mullah Muhammad Omar to join the peace process.

In turn, Mullah Omar's message issued for the Id was inflexible, blaming American forces who were ignoring the peace process and about to leave the nation.

The president's address came after prayers for Id at the mosque on the presidential palace grounds and an official statement said that the President wanted Taliban leader to support the peace process and cease the blood shed, leaving several innocent citizens die everyday.

“The President once again called on Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban, and other angry Afghans, to honor Id by joining the peace process and stop killing our brothers and harming civilians.” An official statement said.

The recent threats to burn the Koran by a Florida pastor naturally invited uncomfortable rage in Mr. Karzai and in his note he also criticized the move. In a respectful tone he affirmed that burning holy book would not harm the book because Koran already secured in every Muslim's heart and mind. He urged to stop disrespect the holy book that has been inspiring innumerable people through out the ages.

Mullah Omar on the other hand remarked that the victory of Islamic nations over infidels was certain. He said in a fiery tone that the invaders were on the verge of leaving Afghanistan and it was a victory.

Pakistan blamed - Indian Embassy bombing case

According to International Herald Tribune, a top Indian diplomat blamed Pakistan in the case of Indian embassy bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan. Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said that all the information collected from different sources points to elements of Pakistan behind this July 7 blast. However, he did not mentioned anything about the information. This comment of Mr Menon came weeks after Afghan President Hamid Karzai had given a hint that Pakistan's intelligence agency and the Inter-Services Intelligence were responsible for the bombing, which killed a minimum of 58 people.

To this comment, Foreign Ministry of Pakistan did not comment immediately, but has denied repeatedly of any involvement in the blast. Pakistan said that it wants stability there and healthy relations with India.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since 1947 when the two countries were created by partition at independence from Britain. Apart from this embassy blast, relation between the two nations have been strained in recent months in exchanges of gunfire in Kashmir frontier. This region was the focus of the three wars.