Hamid Karzai (;
Pashto
Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani ().
Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official langua ...
/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an
Afghan
Afghan may refer to:
*Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia
*Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity
**Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pash ...
statesman
A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level.
Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to:
Newspapers United States
* ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a ...
who served as the fourth
president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from December 2004 to September 2014. He previously served as Chairman of the
Afghan Interim Administration from December 2001 to July 2002. He is the
chief
Chief may refer to:
Title or rank
Military and law enforcement
* Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force
* Chief of police, the head of a police department
* Chief of the bo ...
(''khān'') of the
Popalzai
Popalzai or Popalzay ( ps, پوپلزی), also known as Popal, are Durrani (formerly called Abdali or Bor Tareen) Pashtuns of Afghanistan. The Popalzai are part of the Zirak confederation of Pashtun tribes. The origin of the Abdali forefat ...
Durrani tribe of
Pashtuns
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically r ...
in
Kandahar Province.
Born in
Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the c ...
, Karzai graduated from
Habibia High School in
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...
and later received a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
in the 1980s. He moved to
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
where he was active as a fundraiser for the
Afghan rebels during the
Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989) and its aftermath. He briefly served as Deputy Foreign Minister in the
Islamic State of Afghanistan government. In July 1999, Karzai's father was assassinated and Karzai succeeded him as head of the Popalzai tribe. In October 2001 the
United States invasion of Afghanistan
In late 2001, the United States and its close allies invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban government. The invasion's aims were to dismantle al-Qaeda, which had executed the September 11 attacks, and to deny it a safe base of operati ...
began and Karzai led the Pashtun tribes in and around Kandahar in an uprising against the
Taliban; he became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001.
During the December 2001
International Conference on Afghanistan in Germany, Karzai was selected by prominent Afghan political figures to serve a six-month term as chairman of the
Interim Administration.
He was then chosen for a two-year term as
interim president
An acting president is a person who temporarily fills the role of a country's president when the incumbent president is unavailable (such as by illness or a vacation) or when the post is vacant (such as for death, injury, resignation, dismissal ...
during the
2002 loya jirga (grand assembly) that was held in Kabul,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
. After the
2004 presidential election, Karzai was declared the winner and became President of Afghanistan. He won a second five-year term in the
2009 presidential election; this term ended in September 2014, and he was succeeded by
Ashraf Ghani.
During his presidency, Karzai was known in the international community for his charisma, his tribal robe and lambskin hat, and for being an alliance builder between Afghanistan's communities. In later years, his relationship with
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
and the United States became increasingly strained, and he has been accused several times of
corruption. He called the Taliban his brothers and warned that the heavy-handed
counterinsurgency in Afghanistan would only revive the
Taliban insurgency against the
former Afghan government, urging the US to instead focus on bringing Pakistan's support for the Taliban leadership to heel, but the US largely ignored his requests. After the
Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, Karzai stated the Taliban did not capture the city by force, but rather were invited by him in order to prevent chaos. He said that in order to gain
international recognition, the new Taliban government needed internal legitimacy, which could be achieved through a
general election or ''
loya jirga''.
Early life and beginning of political career
Karzai was born on 24 December 1957 in the
Karz area of
Kandahar City
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the ca ...
in southern Afghanistan.
He is an ethnic
Pashtun
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically r ...
descended from the
khans, or traditional chiefs, of the
Popalzai
Popalzai or Popalzay ( ps, پوپلزی), also known as Popal, are Durrani (formerly called Abdali or Bor Tareen) Pashtuns of Afghanistan. The Popalzai are part of the Zirak confederation of Pashtun tribes. The origin of the Abdali forefat ...
Pashtun tribe. His father,
Abdul Ahad Karzai, served as the
Deputy Speaker of the Afghan Parliament during the 1960s. His grandfather, Khair Mohammad Khan, had fought in the 1919
Third Anglo-Afghan War and was the
Deputy Speaker of the Senate. The
Karzai
Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Re ...
family were
monarchists and remained strong supporters of
Mohammed Zahir Shah, the last
king of Afghanistan. His uncle,
Habibullah Karzai, served as the Afghan representative at the UN
and is said to have accompanied King Zahir to the United States in the early 1960s for a special meeting with U.S. President
John F. Kennedy.
Hamid Karzai attended
Mahmood Hotaki Primary School in Kandahar and
Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani School in
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...
. He graduated from
Habibia High School in Kabul in 1976. After graduating, he went to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
as an exchange student in 1976, and studied for a master's degree in international relations and political science at
Himachal Pradesh University
Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) is an Indian public state university at Summer Hill in the state capital city Shimla. It is close to the vicinity of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. It is wholly financed by the government of Himachal ...
, obtaining his degree in 1983. Karzai then moved to Pakistan and worked as a fundraiser for the
anti-communist Afghan rebels during their
1980s uprising against the rule of Soviet-backed Afghan
Mohammad Najibullah.
Hamid Karzai returned to Afghanistan in early October 1988, late in the war, to assist in the rebel victory in
Tarinkot. He assisted in mobilizing the Popalzai and the other Durrani tribes and helped to drive Najibullah's regime from the city. Karzai also helped negotiate the defection of five hundred of Najibullah's soldiers. When Najibullah's
pro-Soviet government collapsed in 1992, the
Peshawar Accords agreed upon by the Afghan political parties established the
Islamic State of Afghanistan and appointed an interim government to be followed by general elections. Karzai accompanied the first mujahideen leaders into Kabul after President Najibullah stepped down in 1992.
He served as
Deputy Foreign Minister in the government of
Burhanuddin Rabbani. Karzai was arrested, however, by
Mohammad Fahim
Mohammad Qasim Fahim ( prs, محمد فهیم, popularly known as "Marshal Fahim"; 1957 – 9 March 2014) was a military commander and politician in Afghanistan who served as Vice President from June 2002 until December 2004 and from November ...
(who would later become Karzai's Vice President) on charges of spying for
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar in what Karzai claimed was an effort to negotiate between Hekmatyar's forces and Rabbani's government. Karzai fled from Kabul in a vehicle provided by Hekmatyar and driven by
Gul Rahman
Gul Rahman ( ps, ګل رحمان; died November 20, 2002) was an Afghan man, suspected by the United States of being a militant, who was a victim of torture. He died in a secret CIA prison, or black site, located in northern Kabul, Afghanistan k ...
.
When the
Taliban emerged in the mid-1990s, Karzai initially recognized them as the legitimate government because he thought that they would stop the violence and corruption in the country.
He was requested by the Taliban to serve as their ambassador, but refused, telling friends that he felt Pakistan's
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was wrongly using them.
Karzai then wanted to represent the Taliban government for the
UN, but the Taliban leader did not trust Karzai due to him having many links with westerners. Karzai lived in the Pakistani city of
Quetta
Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of th ...
among many other
Afghan refugees
Afghan refugees are citizens of Afghanistan who were compelled to abandon their country as a result of major wars, persecution, torture or genocide. The 1978 Saur Revolution followed by the 1979 Soviet invasion marked the first wave of interna ...
, where he worked to reinstate former Afghan king Zahir Shah, meeting the king in Italy several times. He also visited the western embassies including the
U.S. embassy in Islamabad
The Embassy of the United States in Islamabad is the diplomatic mission of the United States in Pakistan. The embassy in Islamabad is one of the largest U.S. embassies in the world, in terms of personnel, and houses a chancery and complex of ...
several times, talking with UN diplomat
Norbert Holl
Norbert Holl is a German diplomat who served as Head of the United Nations special mission to Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked countr ...
, and attempted to gain American support for "modern, educated Afghans" to weaken the Taliban's views. Karzai's father was reportedly annoyed with him for not making clear-cut choices and wanting to be friends with everyone.
In July 1999, Karzai's father, Abdul Ahad Karzai, was shot dead early in the morning while returning home from a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
in Quetta. Reports suggest that the Taliban carried out the assassination.
Following this incident, Karzai took over as
khan
Khan may refer to:
*Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan
*Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name
*Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
of the tribe and decided to work closely with the anti-Taliban
Northern Alliance, which was led by
Ahmad Shah Massoud
)
, branch = Jamiat-e Islami / Shura-e Nazar Afghan Armed Forces United Islamic Front
, serviceyears = 1975–2001
, rank = General
, unit =
, commands = Mujahideen commander during the Soviet–Afghan War ...
.
In 2000 and 2001, he travelled to Europe and the United States to help gather support for the anti-Taliban movement. "Massoud and Karzai warned the United States that the Taliban were connected with
al Qaeda and that there was a plot for an imminent attack on the United States, but their warnings went unheeded. On September 9, 2001, two days before the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
in the US, Massoud was assassinated by al Qaeda agents in a suicide bombing."
As the
U.S. Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
were preparing for a confrontation with the Taliban in September 2001, Karzai began urging
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
states to purge his country of al-Qaeda. He said in a BBC interview, "These Arabs, together with their foreign supporters and the Taliban, destroyed miles and miles of homes and orchards and vineyards ... They have killed Afghans. They have trained their guns on Afghan lives ... We want them out."
President and chairman of a transitional administration
Karzai had been a US
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
contact, and was well regarded by the CIA.
After the
7 October 2001 launch of Operation Enduring Freedom, the
United Front (Northern Alliance) worked with teams of
U.S. special forces and together they overthrew the
Taliban regime
The government of Afghanistan, officially called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is the central government of Afghanistan, a unitary state. Under the leadership of the Taliban, the government is a theocracy and an emirate with political powe ...
and mustered support for a new government in Afghanistan. Karzai and his group were in Quetta, where they began a covert operation. Later, many would claim that at this moment the US decided that Karzai should be the next leader of Afghanistan.
Before entering Afghanistan, he warned his fighters:
Karzai gathered several hundred fighters from his tribe, but were attacked by the Taliban. Karzai barely survived, and used his contacts with the CIA to call for an airlift.
On 4 November 2001,
American special operation forces flew Karzai out of Afghanistan for protection.
[Taliban lose grip on Mazar-i-Sharif]
. ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
''. , 7 November 2001. On 5 December 2001, Hamid Karzai and his group of fighters survived a
friendly fire missile attack by
U.S. Air Force pilots in southern Afghanistan. The group suffered injuries and was treated in the United States; Karzai received injuries to his facial nerves, as can sometimes be noticed during his speeches.
In December 2001, political leaders gathered in Germany to agree on new leadership structures. Under 5 December
Bonn Agreement, they formed an
Interim Administration and named Karzai Chairman of a 29-member governing committee. He was sworn in as the leader on 22 December. The
loya jirga of 13 June 2002 appointed Karzai as Interim President of the new position as President of the
Afghan Transitional Administration. Former members of the Northern Alliance remained extremely influential, most notably Vice President
Mohammed Fahim, who also served as the
Defense Minister
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in s ...
.
Karzai re-enacted the original coronation of
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shāh Durrānī ( ps, احمد شاه دراني; prs, احمد شاه درانی), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded as the founder of the modern Afghanistan. In July 1747, Ahm ...
at the shrine of Sher-i-Surkh outside Kandahar, where he had leaders of various Afghan tribes, including a descendant of the religious leader (Sabir Shah) who originally selected Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, as key players in this event. Further evidence that Karzai views himself fulfilling a
Durrani monarch's role arises from statements furnished by close allies within his government. His late brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, made statements to a similar effect.
As part of his efforts to unite Afghanistan's ethnicities, Karzai favored an
Afghan dress
As a chiefly rural and tribal population, the Pashtun dress of Afghanistan and Pakistan are typically made from light linens, and are loose fitting for ease of movement. The Pashtun clothes are differently made for males and females.
Pashtun men ...
that combines traditional design features from the various ethnics –
Pashtun
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically r ...
-style long shirt and loose trousers, an outer robe popular among the
Tajiks and
Uzbeks, and most distinctively a ''
karakul'' hat worn by highlanders from the valley of
Panjshir. In 2002 designer
Tom Ford, who worked at the time for
Gucci
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragranc ...
, was quoted calling Karzai "the most chic man in the world".
After Karzai was installed into power, his actual authority outside the capital city of
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...
was said to be so limited that he was often derided as the "Mayor of Kabul". The situation was particularly delicate since Karzai and his administration have not been equipped either financially or politically to influence reforms outside of the region around Kabul. Other areas, particularly the more remote ones, have historically been under the influence of various local leaders. Karzai has been, to varying degrees of success, attempting to negotiate and form amicable alliances with them for the benefit of Afghanistan as a whole, instead of aggressively fighting them and risking an uprising.
In 2004, he rejected an international proposal to end
poppy production in Afghanistan
Afghanistan has long had a history of opium poppy cultivation and harvest. As of 2021, Afghanistan's harvest produces more than 90% of illicit heroin globally, and more than 95% of the European supply. More land is used for opium in Afghanista ...
through aerial spraying of chemical
herbicides, fearing that it would harm the economic situation of his countrymen. Moreover, Karzai's younger brother,
Ahmed Wali Karzai
Ahmed Wali Karzai ( ps, احمد ولي کرزی, , 1961 – 12 July 2011) was a politician in Afghanist ...
– who partially helped finance Karzai's presidential campaign – was rumored to be involved in
narcotic deals.
James Risen of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' and others
[ Tariq Ali, New Left Review 50, March–April 2008.]
Mirage of the Good War
stated that Ahmed Wali Karzai may have been involved in the
Afghan opium and heroin trade. This was denied by Karzai, who called the charges political
propaganda and stated he was a "victim of vicious politics".
2004 Afghan presidential election
When Karzai was a candidate in the October 2004
presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The p ...
, he won 21 of the 34
provinces, defeating his 22 opponents and becoming the first democratically elected leader of Afghanistan.
Although his campaigning was limited due to fears of violence, elections passed without significant incident. Following an investigation by the United Nations of alleged voting irregularities, the national election commission in early November declared Karzai winner, without a runoff, with 55.4% of the vote. This represented 4.3 million of the total 8.1 million votes cast. The election took place safely in spite of a surge of insurgent activity.
Karzai was sworn in as President of the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on 7 December 2004, at a formal ceremony in Kabul. Many interpreted the ceremony as a symbolically important "new start" for the war-torn nation. Notable guests at the inauguration included the country's former King,
Zahir Shah, three former U.S. presidents, and U.S. Vice President
Dick Cheney.
Presidency
First term (2004–2009)
After winning a democratic mandate in the 2004 election, it was thought that Karzai would pursue a more aggressively reformist path in 2005. However, Karzai has proved to be more cautious than was expected. After his new administration took over in 2004, the
economy of Afghanistan began growing rapidly for the first time in many years. Government revenue began increasing every year, although it is still heavily dependent on foreign aid.
During the first term in
Karzai's presidency, public discontent grew about corruption and the civilian casualties in the
2001–14. In May 2006, an anti-American and anti-Karzai riot took place in Kabul which left at least seven people dead and 40 injured. In May 2007, after as many as 51 Afghan civilians were killed in a bombing, Karzai asserted that his government "can no longer accept" casualties caused by U.S. and
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
operations.
In September 2006, Karzai told the
United Nations General Assembly that Afghanistan has become the "worst victim" of terrorism. Karzai said terrorism is rebounding in his country, with militants infiltrating the borders to wage attacks on civilians. He stated, "This does not have its seeds alone in Afghanistan. Military action in the country will, therefore, not deliver the shared goal of eliminating terrorism." He demanded assistance from the international community to destroy terrorist sanctuaries inside and outside Afghanistan. "You have to look beyond Afghanistan to the sources of terrorism", he told the UN General Assembly, and "destroy terrorist sanctuaries beyond" the country, dismantle the elaborate networks in the region that recruit, indoctrinate, train, finance, arm, and deploy terrorists. These activities are also robbing thousands of Afghan children of their right to education, and prevent health workers from doing their jobs in Afghanistan. In addition, he promised to eliminate opium-poppy cultivation in his country, which is possibly helping fuel the ongoing
Taliban insurgency. He has repeatedly demanded that NATO forces take more care to avoid civilian casualties when conducting military operations in residential areas.
In a September 2006 video broadcast, Karzai stated that if the money wasted on the
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
had been actually spent on rebuilding Afghanistan, his country would "be in heaven in less than one year".
2009 re-election and second term
On the eve of 20 August presidential election, Karzai seemed at once deeply unpopular but also likely to win the majority of the votes. He was blamed by many for the failures that plagued the reconstruction of Afghanistan after the toppling of the Taliban government in 2001, from the widespread corruption and the resurgence of the (neo-)Taliban to the explosion of the poppy trade. His unpopularity and the likelihood of his victory formed an atmosphere with a kind of national demoralization, which could discourage many Afghans from voting and dash hopes for substantial progress after the election.
In this second presidential election, Karzai was announced to have received over 50% of the votes. The election was tainted by lack of security, low
voter turnout
In political science, voter turnout is the participation rate (often defined as those who cast a ballot) of a given election. This can be the percentage of registered voters, eligible voters, or all voting-age people. According to Stanford Univ ...
and widespread
ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other
electoral fraud.
Two months later Karzai accepted calls for a
second round run-off vote, which was scheduled for 7 November 2009.
["Karzai Agrees to Nov.–7 Runoff in Afghanistan"](_blank)
, ''The New York Times'' On 2 November 2009, Karzai's run-off opponent,
Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew from the race and election officials announced the cancellation of the
run-off race. Karzai, the only remaining contender, was declared the winner a short time later.
Karzai presented his first list of 24 cabinet nominees to the Afghan parliament on 19 December 2009; however, on 2 January 2010, the parliament rejected 17 of these. According to the parliament, most of the nominees were rejected due to having been picked for reasons other than their competency. A member of parliament said that they had been picked largely based on "ethnicity or bribery or money".
On 16 January 2010, the Afghan parliament rejected 10 of the Karzai's 17 replacement picks for the cabinet. MPs complained that Karzai's new choices were either not qualified for their posts or had close connections to Afghan warlords. Despite the second setback, by mid-January Karzai had 14 out of the 24 ministers confirmed, including the most powerful posts at foreign, defense and interior ministries. Shortly afterward, the parliament began its winter recess, lasting until 20 February, without waiting for Karzai to select additional names for his cabinet. The move not only extended the political uncertainty in the government but also dealt Karzai the embarrassment of appearing at the
London Conference on Afghanistan with nearly half of his cabinet devoid of leaders.
Since late 2001 Karzai has been trying for peace in his country, going as far as pardoning militants that lay down weapons and join the rebuilding process. However, his offers were not accepted by the militant groups. In April 2007, Karzai acknowledged that he spoke to some militants about trying to bring peace in Afghanistan.
He noted that the Afghan militants are always welcome in the country, although foreign insurgents are not. In September 2007, Karzai again offered talks with militant fighters after a security scare forced him to end a commemoration speech.
Karzai left the event and was taken back to his palace, where he was due to meet visiting Latvian President
Valdis Zatlers
Valdis Zatlers (born 22 March 1955) is a Latvian politician and former physician who served as the seventh president of Latvia from 2007 to 2011. He won the Latvian presidential election of 31 May 2007. He became President of Latvia on 8 July 2 ...
. After the meeting, the pair held a joint news conference, at which Karzai called for talks with his Taliban foes. "We don't have any formal negotiations with the Taliban. They don't have an address. Who do we talk to?" Karzai told reporters. He further stated: "If I can have a place where to send somebody to talk to, an authority that publicly says it is the Taliban authority, I will do it."
In December 2009 Karzai announced to move ahead with a
Loya Jirga (large assembly) to discuss the
Taliban insurgency in which the Taliban representatives would be invited to take part in this Jirga. In January 2010, Karzai set the framework for dialogue with Taliban leaders when he called on the group's leadership to take part in the
jirga to initiate peace talks. A Taliban spokesman declined to talk in detail about Karzai's offer and only said the militants would make a decision soon. In April 2010, Karzai urged Taliban insurgents to lay down their arms and air their grievances while visiting a violent northern province, adding that foreign forces would not leave the country as long as fighting continued. In July 2010, Karzai approved a plan intended to win over Taliban foot soldiers and low-level commanders. In mid-August 2013, Attorney General
Mohammad Ishaq Aloko was said to have been fired after meeting with Taliban officials in the U.A.E. after being told not to meet with them. However, unnamed senior cabinet officials tried to persuade Karzai to not fire him, while an official in Aloko's office denied the dismissal saying instead that he was at the Presidential Palace "celebrating Independence Day".
Foreign relations
Karzai's relations with NATO countries was strong, especially
with the United States, due to the fact that it was the leading nation helping to rebuild war-torn Afghanistan. Karzai enjoyed a very friendly and strong strategic partnership with the United States, despite various disagreements. The U.S. had supported him since late 2001 to lead his nation. He has made many important diplomatic trips to the United States and other NATO countries. In August 2007, Karzai was invited to
Camp David in
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
, USA, for a special meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush. The United States has set up a special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is headed by
Marc Grossman
Marc Isaiah Grossman (born September 23, 1951) is an American former diplomat and government official. He served as United States Ambassador to Turkey, Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, and Under Secretary of State for Politica ...
. His task is to serve as a
mediator
Mediator may refer to:
*A person who engages in mediation
* Business mediator, a mediator in business
* Vanishing mediator, a philosophical concept
* Mediator variable, in statistics
Chemistry and biology
*Mediator (coactivator), a multiprotein ...
and solve issues between the three nations.
However, in later years the relations between U.S. and Karzai had become strained, particularly Karzai had been very critical of U.S. military because of their high-level of civilian casualties. In 2019 he described a "major fight" he had with American military officials back in 2007, when Karzai repeatedly told them: "If you want to fight terrorism and bad people, I won't stop you, but please leave the Afghan people alone". In a retrospective interview, Karzai claimed he felt that he was being used as a tool by the United States.
Further strain in relations with the United States resulted in 2014, when Afghanistan, joined Cuba, Nicaragua, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela as the only countries to recognize the
Russian annexation of Crimea. The United States, European countries, and most other nations wholeheartedly condemned the Russian takeover, as well as the validity of the subsequent Crimean Referendum on its annexation to Russia. Citing "the free will of the Crimean people", the office of President Hamid Karzai said, "We respect the decision the people of Crimea took through a recent referendum that considers Crimea as part of the Russian Federation."
Karzai's relations with neighboring Pakistan were good, especially with the
Awami National Party (ANP) and
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He often describes his nation and Pakistan as "inseparable twin brothers", a reference to the
disputed
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...
Durand Line border between the two states, despite the many border skirmishes that occurred during his presidency. In December 2007, Karzai and his delegates traveled to
Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital ...
, Pakistan, for a usual meeting with
Pervez Musharraf on trade ties and intelligence sharing between the two Islamic states. Karzai also met and had a 45-minute talk with
Benazir Bhutto on the morning of 27 December, hours before her trip to
Liaquat National Bagh
Liaqat National Bagh (Park), usually just referred to as ''Liaqat Bagh'' (Urdu: لیاقت باغ), is a famous park on Murree Road in the city of Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan. It is close to Arya Mohalla and Government Gordon College, which are t ...
, where she was assassinated after her speech. After Bhutto's death, Karzai called her his sister and a brave woman who had a clear vision "for her own country, for Afghanistan, and for the region – a vision of democracy, prosperity, and peace". In September 2008, Karzai was invited on a special visit to witness the swearing-in ceremony of
Asif Ali Zardari, who became the
President of Pakistan.
Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have improved after the PPP party took over in 2008. The two nations often make contacts with one another concerning the war on terrorism and trade. Pakistan even allowed NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan to launch attacks on militant groups in Pakistan. This was something strongly opposed by the previous government of Pakistan. The two states finally signed into law long-awaited
Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement
The Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (also known as APTTA) is a bilateral trade agreement signed in 2010 by Pakistan and Afghanistan that calls for greater facilitation in the movement of goods amongst the two countries.
Background ...
in 2011, intended to improve trade. Karzai acknowledges Pakistan's meddling in Afghanistan's wars, but said in a 2015 interview that Afghanistan wants a "friendly relationship but not to be under Pakistan's thumb".
Karzai believed that
Iran is a friend although the U.S. often claims that neighboring Iran is meddling in Afghanistan's affairs.
In 2007, Karzai said that Iran, so far, had been a helper in the reconstruction process.
He acknowledged in 2010 that the
Government of Iran had been providing millions of dollars directly to his office. In October 2007, Karzai again rejected Western accusations against Iran, stating, "We have resisted the negative propaganda launched by foreign states against the Islamic Republic, and we stress that aliens' propaganda should not leave a negative impact on the consolidated ties between the two great nations of Iran and Afghanistan."
Karzai added, "The two Iranian and Afghan nations are close to each other due to their bonds and commonalities, they belong to the same house, and they will live alongside each other for good."
Some international criticism has centered around the government of Karzai in early 2009 for failing to secure the country from Taliban attacks, systemic governmental corruption, and widespread claims of electoral fraud in the
2009 Afghan presidential election.
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...
Karzai says U.S. 'attacking' him over election
Karzai staunchly defended the election balloting, stating that some statements criticizing the balloting and vote count were "totally fabricated". He told the media that, "There were instances of fraud, no doubt ... There were irregularities ... But the election as a whole was good and free and democratic." He further went on to say that, "Afghanistan has its separate problems and we have to handle them as Afghanistan finds it feasible ... This country was completely destroyed ... Today, we are talking about fighting corruption in Afghanistan, improved legal standards ... You see the glass half empty or half full. I see it as half full. Others see it as half empty." A 2019 ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
'' report described Karzai as ruling a "corrupt" government that was tolerated by the United States.
In June 2010, Karzai travelled to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
for a five-day visit where the two nations discussed a new aid provided by the hosting nation and the untapped mineral resources recently announced. Karzai invited Japanese companies such as
Mitsubishi and others to invest in Afghan mining projects. He told Japanese officials that Japan would be given priority in the bid to explore its resources. He stated, "morally, Afghanistan should give access as a priority to those countries that have helped Afghanistan massively in the past few years." While in Japan, Karzai also made his first visit to
Hiroshima to pray for the atomic bomb victims. Japan has provided billions of dollars in aid to Afghanistan since the beginning of 2002.
On 16 July 2014, President Karzai held a special cabinet meeting where he condemned the
Israeli attacks on Gaza and the killings of civilians while pledging $500,000 USD in aid to
Gaza.
Relations between Karzai and India have always been friendly; he attended university there.
Afghanistan–India relations
Afghanistan–India relations are the diplomatic relations between India and Afghanistan. The two countries share cultural ties through Bollywood and cricket.
The Republic of India was the only South Asian country to recognize the Soviet-backe ...
began getting stronger in 2011, especially after the
death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. In October 2011, Karzai signed a strategic partnership agreement with
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. During his speech at the ''RK Mishra Memorial'' in New Delhi, Karzai told the audience that "The signing of the strategic partnership with India is not directed against any country. It is not directed against any other entity. This is for Afghanistan to benefit from the strength of India."
Assassination attempts
Many people have plotted to assassinate Karzai in the last decade, especially the Taliban's
Quetta Shura and the Taliban-allied
Haqqani network which allegedly receives support and guidance from Pakistan's
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy network.
As recent as October 2011, while Karzai was visiting India to sign an important strategic partnership agreement with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Afghan agents of the
National Directorate of Security (NDS) arrested 6 people in Kabul for planning to assassinate Karzai. Among those involved in the assassination plot were four
Kabul University
Kabul University (KU; prs, دانشگاه کابل, translit= Dāneshgāh-e-Kābul; ps, د کابل پوهنتون, translit=Da Kābul Pohantūn) is one of the major and oldest institutions of higher education in Afghanistan. It is in the 3rd ...
students and one of its professors, Dr. Aimal Habib, as well as Mohibullah Ahmadi who was one of the guards outside the Presidential Palace in Kabul. The alleged group of assassins were associates of
al Qaida and the Haqqani network, and were paid $150,000 by Pakistani-based Islamic terrorists. A U.S. official said that "Our understanding is that the threat against President Karzai was real, was credible, but it was only in the early stages of planning." The following is a list of other failed assassination attempts:
* 5 September 2002: An assassination attempt was made on Karzai in the city of Kandahar. A gunman wearing the uniform of the new
Afghan National Army opened fire, wounding
Gul Agha Sherzai (former governor of Kandahar) and an American Special Operations officer. The gunman, one of the President's bodyguards, and a bystander who knocked down the gunman were killed when Karzai's American bodyguards returned fire. Some pictures of the
United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group
The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and commonly known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often refer ...
(DEVGRU) responding to the attempt have surfaced.
* 16 September 2004: An attempted assassination on Karzai took place when a rocket missed the
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...
he was flying in while en route to the city of
Gardez
, settlement_type =City
, image_skyline =gardez_paktya.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption =The Bala Hesar fortress in the center of Gardez City
, image_flag =
, flag_size =
, image_sea ...
in eastern Afghanistan.
* 10 June 2007: Taliban insurgents attempted to assassinate Karzai in
Ghazni
Ghazni ( prs, غزنی, ps, غزني), historically known as Ghaznain () or Ghazna (), also transliterated as Ghuznee, and anciently known as Alexandria in Opiana ( gr, Αλεξάνδρεια Ωπιανή), is a city in southeastern Afghanistan ...
where he was giving a speech to elders. Insurgents fired approximately 12 rockets, some of which landed away from the crowd. Karzai was not hurt in the incident and was transported away from the location after finishing his speech.
* 27 April 2008: Insurgents, reportedly from the
Haqqani network, used
automatic weapons and
rocket-propelled grenades to attack a military parade that Karzai was attending in
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...
. Karzai was safe, but at least three people were killed, including a parliamentarian, a ten-year-old girl and a minority leader, and ten injured.
Others attending the event included government ministers, former warlords, diplomats and the military top brass, all of whom had gathered to mark the 16th anniversary of the fall of the Afghan communist government to the mujahideen.
Responding to the attack during the ceremony, the UN said the attackers "have shown their utter disrespect for the history and people of Afghanistan".
Taliban spokesman
Zabiullah Mujahid
Zabihullah Mujahid ( ps, ; ''Ẕabīḥullāh Mujāhid'' ; also spelled Dhabih Allah Mujahid) is an Afghan official Central spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan since 25 October 2021 and Deputy Ministry of Information and Culture s ...
claimed responsibility for the attack, stating, "We fired rockets at the scene of the celebration." He went on to say there were six Taliban at the scene and that three were killed. "Our aim was not to directly hit someone", Mujahed said when asked if the intention was to kill Karzai. "We just wanted to show to the world that we can attack anywhere we want to".
The ability of the attackers to get so close to Karzai suggested they had inside help. Defense minister Wardak confirmed that a police captain was connected with the group behind the assassination attempt and that an army officer supplied the weapons and ammunition used in the attack. Warlord insurgent
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar also reportedly claimed responsibility.
Views on Taliban
In a 2013 interview with
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazee ...
, Karzai called the Taliban his 'brothers'. He claimed that the Afghan government and Afghan people did not want to eliminate the Taliban, but rather reintegrate the Taliban into society. It was not the first time he called the Taliban his brothers. Previously he called them brothers during his victory speech in 2009, a day after he was declared president.
Attack on Taliban training camp
On 14 September 2015, provincial police chief Gen. Daud Ahmadi claimed that Hamid Karzai had stopped an attack on a Taliban training camp in
Logar province of Afghanistan. The camp was used as a launching pad and a military operation was being planned to deal with the camp. However, Karzai stopped them from attacking the camp. Ahmadi further claimed there were around 200 militants who were being trained at the camp at that time.
Post-presidency
After the
2017 Nangarhar airstrike
The 2017 Nangarhar airstrike refers to the American bombing of the Achin District located in the Nangarhar Province of eastern Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan. On 13 April 2017, the United States conducted an airstrike and used the ...
, Karzai condemned his successor, President
Ashraf Ghani, labeling him a traitor.
Following the fall of the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the Taliban on 17 August 2021, the leader of the Taliban-affiliated
Hezb-e-Islami
Hezb-e-Islami (also ''Hezb-e Islami'', ''Hezb-i-Islami'', ''Hezbi-Islami'', ''Hezbi Islami''), lit. Islamic Party, was an Islamist organization that was commonly known for fighting the Communist Government of Afghanistan and their close ally ...
party
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar met with Karzai and
Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation and former
chief executive, in
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor, it is home to m ...
, seeking to form an interim government with the Taliban.
In February 2022, Karzai condemned the
Biden administration's decision to unfreeze $7 billion of
Da Afghanistan Bank
(DAB, ps, د افغانستان بانک; prs, بانک مرکزی افغانستان) is the central bank of Afghanistan. It regulates all banking and money handling operations in Afghanistan. The bank currently has 46 branches throughout the ...
's
assets and to divide the money between humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Karzai labelled the decision as an "atrocity" and, while saying that Afghans sympathized with the victims of 9/11, the money belonged to the Afghan people, who had also suffered from the attacks' consequences.
Karzai has been critical of the Taliban government's failure to fulfill promises regarding women's rights, and has asked the Taliban to reopen schools for girls. In an interview with
CNN, he has also decried the demand for women to wear a burqa and cover their faces.
Personal life and tribal lineage
In 1999, Hamid Karzai married
Zeenat Quraishi, a gynaecologist by profession who was working as a doctor with
Afghan refugees
Afghan refugees are citizens of Afghanistan who were compelled to abandon their country as a result of major wars, persecution, torture or genocide. The 1978 Saur Revolution followed by the 1979 Soviet invasion marked the first wave of interna ...
living in Pakistan. They have a son, Mirwais, who was born in January 2007, a daughter, Malalai, born in 2012 and another daughter, Howsi, born in March 2014 in
Gurgaon,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
. He became a father once again at the age of 58 when another daughter was born in September 2016 in Apollo Hospital, New Delhi. According to a declaration of his assets by an anti-graft body, Karzai earns $525 monthly and has less than $20,000 in bank accounts. Karzai does not own any land or property.
Karzai has six brothers, including
Mahmood Karzai Mahmood Karzai, also spelled Mahmud Karzai, or Mahmoud Karzai (born 1957 Kandahar) is an Afghan businessman. He was the third of the six children and son of a prominent political figure, Abdul Ahad Karzai who was a member of the Afghan National Asse ...
and
Qayum Karzai
Abdul Qayum Karzai or Qayyum Karzai (born 1947) is businessman and politician in Afghanistan. He is the elder brother of former President Hamid Karzai. His brothers also include the controversial Mahmoud Karzai and the assassinated Ahmed Wali Ka ...
, as well as
Ahmed Wali Karzai
Ahmed Wali Karzai ( ps, احمد ولي کرزی, , 1961 – 12 July 2011) was a politician in Afghanist ...
, deceased, who was the representative for the southern Afghanistan region. Qayum is also the founder of the ''Afghans for a Civil Society''. Karzai has one sister,
Fauzia Karzai Fauzia is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Fauzia Gailani, elected to represent Herat Province in Afghanistan's Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of its National Legislature, in 2005
* Fauzia Wahab, Pakistani politician in the Paki ...
.
The family owns and operates several Afghan restaurants on the
East Coast of the United States and in Chicago.
In initial biographical news reporting, there was confusion regarding his clan lineage; it was written that his paternal lineage derived from the
Sadduzai clan. This confusion might have arisen from sources stating he was chosen as the
tribal chief of the Popalzai. Traditionally, the Popalzai tribe has been led by members of the Sadozais.
[Tribal Analysis Center Pashtun Tribal Analysis](_blank)
"The Durrani Popalzai tribe's Khan Khel, the Saddozai, failed to advance a competent family for leadership during the anti-Soviet period. Instead, they placed tribal leadership in the hands of Abdul Ahad Karzai, a member of a key family in the Shamizai subtribe. Following Abdul Ahad's assassination in 1999, his son, Hamid Karzai, inherited his father's mantle and can be expected to retain this tribal leadership position for the remainder of Afghanistan's conflict. Normally, the eldest son would have been selected to bear this tribal responsibility, but this son was living in the United States and was generally unavailable to serve as tribal leader." The first King of Afghanistan,
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shāh Durrānī ( ps, احمد شاه دراني; prs, احمد شاه درانی), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded as the founder of the modern Afghanistan. In July 1747, Ahm ...
, was the leader of the Sadozais, and the Sadozai lineage continued to rule Afghanistan until 1826 when the
Barakzai
Bārakzai ( ps, بارکزی, ''Bārakzay;'' plur. ps, بارکزي, ''Bārakzī'') is the name of a Pashtun tribe from present-day, Kandahar, Afghanistan. '"Barakzai" is a common name among the Pashtuns and it means "son of Barak" in Pashto ...
s ascended to the throne.
Karzai is believed to be from the Shamizai subtribe of the Popalzais.
His grandfather, Khair Muhammad Karzai, was a head of the Popalzai tribe from Kandahar who relocated to Kabul and ran the business of a guest house. This allowed Karzai's father Abdul Ahad, to gain a foothold in the royal family, and subsequently, the parliament. These actions and upwards movement within the Popalzai tribal system, led to the Karzai family furnishing a viable Shamizai clan alternative to Sadozai leadership in the aftermath of the Soviet invasion when the Sadozai clan failed to provide a tribal leader.
He is often seen wearing a
Karakul hat
A Karakul hat (Dari/Urdu/Pashto/ Uzbek/ Kashmiri: ), sometimes spelled as Qaraqul hat, also called Uzbek hat and Jinnah Cap is a hat made from the fur of the Qaraqul breed of sheep. Karakul directly translates to black fur in the Uzbek language a ...
, something that has been worn by many Afghan kings in the past.
Following the
Fall of Kabul in 2021, Karzai decided to remain in Kabul with his daughters and he appealed to the Taliban to respect his life and that of his family as well as the civilians in Afghanistan. While he met with Hekmatyar to discuss the formation of a future Afghan government, it is unclear whether Karzai will serve any role in such.
On 27 August 2021, prominent activist
Fatima Gailani Fatima Gailani ( ps, فاطمه گیلانی; born in Kabul in 1954) is an Afghan political leader and women's rights activist, who previously served as president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society. She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women o ...
criticized him whereas the United States urged the Taliban to include him in the new government along
Abdullah Abdullah.
On 1 September 2021, sources close to the Taliban said that it was "unlikely" for Karzai to be part of the new government, with a spokesperson for the group saying that the group was "ready to recruit them", referring also to
Abdullah Abdullah but added that the Taliban did not want "old horses" in apparent reference to Karzai.
Honorary degrees and awards
Over the years Hamid Karzai has become a well recognized figure. He has received a number of awards and honorary degrees from famous government and educational institutions around the world. The following are some of his awards and honoraria.
* A
commemorative
A commemorative is an object made to memorialize something.
Commemorative may refer to:
* Commemorative coin, coins that issued to commemorate something
* Commemorative medal, a medal to commemorate something
* Commemorative plaque, a plate typic ...
medal
A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...
lion of 11 September 2001 attacks from the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
, presented to him by member of the House
Jack Kingston on 29 January 2002.
* In June 2002, received the Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...
at the Achievement Summit at
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin.
Until 1922 it was the s ...
in Dublin, Ireland.
* An honorary doctorate in literature from
Himachal Pradesh University
Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) is an Indian public state university at Summer Hill in the state capital city Shimla. It is close to the vicinity of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. It is wholly financed by the government of Himachal ...
in India, his alma mater, on 7 March 2003.
* On 6 June 2003, Karzai was created an
Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of St Michael and St George by
Queen Elizabeth II.
* On 4 July 2004, Karzai was awarded the
Philadelphia Liberty Medal in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
, Pennsylvania. In his acceptance speech, Karzai stated: "Where Liberty dies, evil grows. We Afghans have learned from our historical experiences that liberty does not come easily. We profoundly appreciate the value of liberty ... for we have paid for it with our lives. And we will defend liberty with our lives."
* On 22 May 2005, received an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original cam ...
.
* On 25 May 2005, received an honorary degree from the Center for Afghan Studies at the
University of Nebraska — Omaha.
* On 25 September 2006, received an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private research university in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789 as Georgetown College, the university has grown to comprise eleven undergraduate and graduate ...
.
* In June 2012, received an honorary Doctorate from
Nippon Sport Science University.
*
Lovely Professional University conferred an honorary Doctorate on Karzai on 20 May 2013.
Controversies
In August 2011, Karzai pardoned dozens of child would-be suicide bombers, and in February 2012 some of the pardoned children were re-arrested attempting to commit suicide bombings in
Kandahar Province.
Karzai has been accused of nepotism, corruption, electoral fraud, and being involved with his late half brother
Ahmed Wali Karzai
Ahmed Wali Karzai ( ps, احمد ولي کرزی, , 1961 – 12 July 2011) was a politician in Afghanist ...
in the drug trade.
In 2009, Karzai antagonized the women's movement and NATO leaders by signing a draconian
Shia Personal Status Law
The Shia Personal Status Law, also known as the Shia Family Law, is a law of Afghanistan that was approved in February 2009 with Afghan President Hamid Karzai's signature. A portion of the law pertaining to sexual relations between husband and wi ...
seen as legalizing
marital rape within Afghanistan's minority
Shia Muslim community.
Electoral fraud
Under Karzai's administration, electoral fraud was so apparent that Afghanistan's status as a democratic state came into question. Furthermore, a special court set up personally by Karzai in defiance of constitutional norms sought to reinstate dozens of candidates who were removed for fraud in the 2010 parliamentary elections by the Independent Electoral Commission.
Financial ties with CIA and the government of Iran
On 28 April 2013, ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' revealed that from December 2002 up to the publication date, Karzai's presidential office was funded with "tens of millions of dollars" of black cash from the
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
in order to buy influence within the
Afghan government. The article stated that "the cash that does not appear to be subject to the oversight and restrictions." An unnamed American official was quoted by ''The New York Times'' as stating that "The biggest source of corruption in Afghanistan was the United States."
On 17 June 2013, Senator
Bob Corker
Robert Phillips Corker Jr. (born August 24, 1952) is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Chair of the Senate Foreign Rel ...
put a hold on $75 million intended for electoral programs in Afghanistan after his inquiries of 2 May, 14 May and 13 June to the
Obama Administration regarding the CIA "ghost money" remained unanswered.
[''Senator puts hold on some Afghan aid over Karzai "ghost money"'']
, Reuters, 17 June 2013
Karzai also admitted that his office received millions of dollars in cash from the Iranian government. Karzai stated that the money was given as gifts and intended for renovating his Presidential Palace in Kabul. "This is transparent. This is something that I've even discussed while I was at Camp David with President Bush."
Corruption
According to ''The New York Times'', many members of the Karzai family have mixed their personal interests with that of the state, and become hugely influential and wealthy by murky means. In 2012 Afghanistan was tied with Somalia and North Korea at the bottom of
Transparency International's
Corruption Perception Index
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is an index which ranks countries "by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The CPI generally defines corruption as an "abuse of entr ...
, and it ranked 172/175 in 2014.
Mahmoud Karzai Mahmood Karzai, also spelled Mahmud Karzai, or Mahmoud Karzai (born 1957 Kandahar) is an Afghan businessman. He was the third of the six children and son of a prominent political figure, Abdul Ahad Karzai who was a member of the Afghan National Asse ...
, the brother of President Karzai, was implicated in the 2010
Kabul Bank
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
crisis. Mahmud Karzai was the 3rd largest shareholder in the bank with a 7% stake. Kabul Bank incurred huge losses on its investments in villas in
Palm Jumeirah in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, wikt:دبي, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates#Major cities, most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 ...
. The real estate investments were registered in the name of Kabul Bank chairman, Sherkhan Farnood. Mahmud Karzai bought one such villa from Farnood for 7 million
dirhams using money borrowed from Kabul Bank and in a matter of months sold it for 10.4 million dirhams.
Mahmud Karzai's purchase of the 7% stake in Kabul Bank was also financed entirely through money lent by Kabul Bank with the shares as collateral.
Karzai has admitted that there is widespread corruption in Afghanistan, but has blamed the problem largely on the way contracts are awarded by the international community, and said that the "perception of corruption" is a deliberate attempt to weaken the Afghan government.
Unocal connection
There has been much debate over Karzai's alleged consultant work with
Unocal (Union Oil Company of California since acquired by
Chevron
Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to:
Science and technology
* Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines
* Chevron (anatomy), a bone
* '' Eulithis testata'', a moth
* Chevron (geology), a fold in rock la ...
in 2005). In 2002, when Karzai became the subject of heavy media coverage as one of the front runners to lead Afghanistan, it was reported that he was a former consultant for them.
Spokesmen for both Unocal and Karzai have denied any such relationship, although Unocal could not speak for all companies involved in the consortium.
The original claim that Karzai worked for Unocal originates from a 6 December 2001 issue of the French newspaper ''
Le Monde
''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...
'',
Barry Lane UNOCAL's manager for public relations states in an interview on the website Emperor's Clothes that, "He was never a consultant, never an employee. We've exhaustively searched through all our records."
Lane however did say that
Zalmay Khalilzad
Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad ( ps, ځلمی خلیل زاد, prs, زلمی خلیلزاد; born March 22, 1951) is an Afghan-American diplomat and foreign policy expert. Khalilzad was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to serve as U.S. Speci ...
, the former
United States Ambassador to the United Nations, was a Unocal consultant in the mid-1990s.
Communication with Taliban
In October 2013, Karzai's administration and the Afghan Intelligence agency were found to be communicating with the Pakistani Taliban about the shifting of power that was expected to occur if the U.S. Forces withdrew in 2014. Karzai himself was in London at the time of the discovery, to participate in talks with Pakistan and the U.S. on the possible location of Taliban leader Mullah Baradar. At the time, it was unknown if Karzai was directly involved or even knew of such communications.
In May 2021, Karzai spoke with German newspaper ''
Der Spiegel'', where he expressed his sympathy with the Taliban, criticized the role of the United States in Afghanistan and praised the role of the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
, at the same time, saying that the future of Afghanistan relies heavily on neighbor Pakistan. He also considered the Taliban "victims of foreign forces" and said that Afghans were being used to be "each against the other". In November 2021, he told Yalda Hakim of ''BBC News'' that he considered the Taliban as "brothers".
View on ISIS in Afghanistan
Karzai, during an interview with Voice of America, claimed that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province, ISIS in Afghanistan is a tool for the United States. He further claimed that he does not differentiate at all between ISIS and the United States. During an interview with Fox News, Karzai claimed that ISIS in Afghanistan is a product of the United States. He claimed that he routinely received reports regarding unmarked helicopters dropping supplies to support the terror faction. He asked for an explanation from the United States regarding the unmarked helicopter flights. He also claimed that the United States had made Afghanistan a testing ground for its weapons. Later on during an interview with Al Jazeera, Karzai again criticized the United States. He accused the United States of working with ISIS in Afghanistan. Moreover, he said that the United States government had allowed ISIS to flourish in Afghanistan and that it had used ISIS as an excuse to drop the GBU-43 (Mother of all Bombs) in Afghanistan.
Karzai also accused Pakistan of supporting ISIS during an interview with Asian News International, ANI.
In popular culture
* In the movie War Machine (film), War Machine, Karzai was portrayed by Ben Kingsley.
See also
* List of heads of state of Afghanistan, List of presidents of Afghanistan
* Politics of Afghanistan
*
Mahmoud Karzai Mahmood Karzai, also spelled Mahmud Karzai, or Mahmoud Karzai (born 1957 Kandahar) is an Afghan businessman. He was the third of the six children and son of a prominent political figure, Abdul Ahad Karzai who was a member of the Afghan National Asse ...
*
Ahmed Wali Karzai
Ahmed Wali Karzai ( ps, احمد ولي کرزی, , 1961 – 12 July 2011) was a politician in Afghanist ...
*
Kabul Bank
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
crisis
* Afghan Peace Jirga 2010
* Kabul International Airport, Hamid Karzai International Airport
References
Books/Articles
* Dam, Bette. ''A Man and a Motorcycle'', Ipso Facto Publ., Sept. 2014.
* Dam, Bette. "The Misunderstanding of Hamid Karzai", ''Foreign Policy'', Oc.t 3, 2014.
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Karzai, Hamid
Hamid Karzai,
1957 births
21st-century heads of state of Afghanistan
Presidents of Afghanistan
Living people
Karzai family, Hamid
Afghan exiles
Afghan expatriates in Pakistan
Afghan anti-communists
Habibia High School alumni
Himachal Pradesh University alumni
Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
Mujahideen members of the Soviet–Afghan War
Pashtun people
People from Kandahar Province
Afghan Sunni Muslims
Anti-communism in Afghanistan
Pashtun nationalists
21st-century Afghan writers