I think we should get out of Afganistan and let them solve there own problems.

I agree with Leroy. Afghanistan has proved to be the graveyard of invading armies for centuries. The British have left a whole encyclopedia of literature on how to deal with Afghans and the Tribal people of Pakistan North-West.

It's time that Obama realizes that it is futile to be there and get out as quickly as he can. After almost a decade of being there, the world's strongest armies only control 30% of the total area – the rest in under Taliban control. Italians were recently outed for giving Taliban protection money to not shoot them. What a farce.

Time to end these games and focus on the internal problems of America. With all the money being used to fight the Taliban, they can provide free health-care to every American and make America truly a country for others to look up to.

The democracy in Afghanistan is young. It is like a child. In order to stand up it will fall alot of times before it can stand up and walk. There was fraud indeed, but the system worked. The afghan independent election commision didn´t count any vote that could be quistioned. So the end result was reliable, and that is what counts. The end result was 48 % to Karzai and 25 % to Abdullah.
Karzai agreed to second run off, Abdullah didn´t, that makes Karzai the president for the next five years. It is as legitimate as it can be. Now one can ask why Abdullah withdrew from the second round, some say he was running out of money, that he simply didn´t had the resources for the second round, others say that he was expecting the same level of fraud in second round as in first round, but regardless of the reason, Abdullah´s withdrawal in it self shouldn´t/ doesn´t make Karzai unlegitimate president.

As a president it is shame for Karzai, after being revealed his frauds he still insisted on becoming the president, the election commettee president was his own person, they had said that they would keep the election going on despite the Abdullah's pulling out, but the election commette president proved that he was a Karzai puppet by announcing Karzai the president without runoff. What has Karzai done in the last 8 years? it's funny When Mrs Clinton says that he is legitimate, Karzai's fraud was quite clear and everyone confessed it including himself, and the runoff has not been completetd , still you think he is a legitimate president?

I think it feels right to say they (Afganistan) should deal with their own problems...but it is like leaving kids at home for a weekend and thinking "let them organize themselves, they'll cook something if they are hungry!" Unfortunately the reality is not like that and we have to hope that America does the job for the benefit of humanity and not for their economic and geo politic interest.

The issue goes slightly beyond legitimacy. Afganistan needs a more ingeneous leadership which Karzai has been unable to provide inspite of goodwill and massive international support. That he could not win re-election outright meant that he could not capitalize on the advantage of incubency in a doubtful electoral environment; and that is ominous. He would be fighting on too many fronts and that is bad for a leader. The problem of that society would eventually be solved from inside rather than from outside. This guy looks more to solving the political problem from outside and his leadership becomes questionable. There is a problem here for the international community and the US determination in the region.

In a normal situation Karzai is with no doubt a legitimate president. However, the withdrawl of Abdulla was driven by the obvious fraud practiced by the commission appointed by Karzai. There was no reason to beleive that who cheated once would not cheat again. So why play a losing game. Thus, the legitimacy of Karzai is questionable and the election is marked with fraud. To be congratulated by the UN or any other party does not change the fact. It simply stams the acceptance to fraud.

The western hemisphere is supporting a corrupt system.Like we have not seen that in the past.It's sad to see that they can't even get the voting system straight in that country.
If you can't help them, just leave them alone and don't make things worse.

The election was a farce. But it is the US government that keeps him in power, so if the US government says he is legitimate, then he has all the legitimacy he needs.

It is ridiculous to question the afghan independent election commisions unbiasness. This commision is approved by the parliament (the people). No individual can remove any member of the commision but the parlament, specially not a candidat.
Dr. Abdullah Abdullahs conditions for the second run off was removal of some members of the commision and three ministers (who are aproved by the majority of the parliament). Did he really believed that this will happen? no, he knew that he was going to lose big time so he just wanted to blame others for his failure. That is what we call a loser. If you lose than take it at least like a man.

There is no hope for Afghanistan now, not with Karzai paying off his markers to the warlords and fundamentalists. He will continue to actively destroy the human rights of Afghan women, such as his marital rape law for Shia women. On the Malalai Joya website, I read the following: "Karzai has cemented alliances with brutal warlords and fundamentalists in order to maintain his position...he has named two notorious militia commanders as his vice-Presidential running mates...both stand accused of brutalities against our people...deals have also been made with countless fundamentalists...the return from exile of the dreaded warlord Rashid Dostum...the pro-Iranian extremist Mohammad Mohaqiq, who has been accused of war crimes, has been promised 5 cabinet positions for his party in exchange for supporting Mr. Karzai...Rather than democracy, what we have in Afghanistan are back room deals among discredited warlords who are sworn enemies of democracy and justice." We, as Americans, by supporting this mockery of an Afghan government with our money and lives, are responsible for the evil that it does. Do you want your taxdollars going into these undemocratic warlords pockets? I sure don't. What Karzai has done is to set up a fundamentalist warlord government just like the one we bombed out of existence in 2001. That's just too pitiful for nine years of money and the blood of our American men. Mullah Omar is just sitting comfortably in Pakistan laughing at us and waiting to return. Why haven't we "droned" him? End this war now.

Shame on Karzai, he lost the mega opportunity to be a role model for his country and lead the way for new generation to take over under his guidance. He would have been revered for this act for ever. Alas, he is a typical power grabber and a corrupt third world leader. He’ll eventually resign or be overthrown in vain. I feel sorry for Afghanistan people, but wish them all the best.

You must be joking, karzai govt is as corrupt as it can get. and i think even if we stay there for another 10 yrs there nothing will change.

This is another example of western hypocrisy:
Hamid has definitely lead a fraudulent elections, we congratulate him- only becuase he is our friend, to the hell with all those people whose votes were manipulated, their opinion doesn't matter.
On the other hand , Najadi, Iranian president -the Enemy: Won by 11 million votes, its proved that the fraud was minimal, yet, we still question his legitimacy.

For Ajmal I say: you can't teach a child to walk crippled from the beginning, he will remain walking crippled for long after. bad habits doesn't go away easily.

its very naive to say that pulling out of afghanistan is the best thing to do for US interests when the US entered in the first place to stop al qaieda from further attacks against US and other countries. The fact is that the Taliban still harbor terrorists from all over the world and will continue to do so and grow larger if the coalition forces do not take action. by pulling out of afghanistan the US undermines 911 and the whole reason for us to being there in the first place. so if we pull out the only message it sends is 911 was not important and the threat of another 911 is unlikley or there is no political or military strategy to winning the war in afghanistan.

ive been working in afghanistan for 2 years and will admit that US and NATO policies and military strategies are very misguided and udnerfunded, but the fact remains that something still must be done to stabilize afghanistan or else the mid east and s asia and many parts of the world will be affected.

or the other scnenario is that no one gives a damn except all the people who profitting from this war and like to see this drag on for their own benefit. who knows....

If we are really going to continue this war under the pretext of defeating Al Quaeda and suppressing the taliban, why are we invading militarily North and South Warziristan, where the hard core extremists are. I see no hope of Pakistan doing this ever. They are already planning an exit strategy for South Warzistan and they haven't even accomplished anything yet. Not sincere. So why aren't our US troops going after them? Drones aren't enough, and they don't get bin Laden, Mullah Omar, Haqqani, etc. We are failing, if not failed. Time for a completely new strategy and/or our own exit strategy. Congress and the executive branch are too incompetent to pull this off.

The UN should pick the ruler of Afghanistan, at this momemt in time they would have saved alot of innocent lives, it's a UN mandate that the coalation forces are there, alot of young people are dying for that country, of course the ruler should be a citizen of afghanistan. In a couple of years when things are a little better then give them an ELECTION.

Thx
Marty

I just cant believe it. Impossible to believe. Here we have a new US President , whom I fully believed in with his cries of Yes we can and a new change, endorsing a corrupt president.

How can one even imagine that an election, fraught with corrupt votes and election officials be endorsed by the US. What type of sanity exists is the US where American lives are sagrificed to stand by a so called legi govt. Dr Abdullah himself recognised that he had no option but to withdrawn unless the corrupt officials were dismissed. But no, instead of having the YES WE CAN backing for a transparent election he was allowed to step aside without any protest to the Karzai Govt.

Honestly and from my heart, shame on you Mr Obama

Its really a Shame for the US and the Western world. How could they legitimate Karzai after they themself realised that they was massive fraud in the entire election. They (US and the West) persuaded Karzai to go for runoff which he never wanted, but that was a genuie way to wipe away the fraud tips from the public. Dr Abdullah must have got reasons getin out of the run-off. He wanted the committe who first were involved in the fraud dismissed, but the west and US didnt hear on that.
I think democracy that the US and the west are talkin day inn and day out is just propaganda because they do all for their interest and thats not a way of this democracy.
A good example is in zimbabwe after the opposition redrew from the run-off and Mugabe was declared the president. Why didt the west and US legitimize Mugabe. That shows interest and hatred.
I was even expecting this from Obama s administration. This is showing that he too will definitely be a failure.

I think Karzai is not a legitimate president at all. Shame to the west and US.

We could "get out of Afghanistan and let them solve their own problems", but prior to 2001, we *were* out of Afghanistan...and they were causing *us* problems (as well as much of the rest of the free world). Unfortunately, if the allies pull out now, the current government is not strong enough to prevent the extremists from taking over again...it would be like if we had pulled out of Germany and put the Nazi government back in charge. Our best hope is to try to implement a surge strategy which empowers the more moderate tribal leaders and gives them enough breathing room to establish their own security, similar to what worked in Iraq. It'll take years, but the alternative is New York eventually getting destroyed after the Taliban take over in the region completely and smuggle in a suitcase nuke (which they've been very public about as a long term goal).

The borders of Afghanistan are a creation of the west. They were artificially imposed upon tribes of people that never got along all that well to begin with. It's unrealistic to think your going to change the diverse cultures of these people to the point that they are going to embrace any imposed leader no matter how legitimate an election is.

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah represents the Tajik people of the north and Karzai is Pastun. No Pastun is going to pay the slightest heed to a Tajik unless he's holding a gun on him, and vise versa. It's been this way since Alexander the Great. Look, if the British and the Russians couldn't hold on to it why to we think we can?

And what happens when we leave? Nothing. When the Russians left their "Karzai", a guy named Najibulla, was put up against the wall within a couple of months. Same thing will happen again like it has over and over. Let's move the goal posts to the point we can leave without Fox News imploding with anguish. I never thought I'd say this but George Will is right.

There are 25 million people

Dr Ashraf Ghani was the right man, unfortunately US didn't support him. Americans only support thier own puppet like Karzai and Khalilzad.

How can Karzai's position be legitimate. He wasn't elected but became President by default.
Yet again, the UN and the USA have taken the line of least resistance instead of insisting that Karzai be deposed. Unless this happens then there will never be a settlement of the problem.
The UN, USA and the rest of those who have troops in Afghanistan MUST ensure that Karzai and his Government curtail the corruption, work towards building a solid democratic country.
Give him two years to reform and then remove him if no progress has been made.

Who cares if is legitimate or not. We should try and get out of the country and let them run their own affairs.

I don´t think, he is a legitimate president at all. A corrupted govt like Karzai´s is far from to be choosen by afghan people. But surely choosen by election- commision.

Karzai plays the part American's seem to want him to play. Whether he is a legitimate leader or not is beside the point. I mean really, who could resist a guy wearing that funky hat and robe? The wardrobe and make up departments of the CIA should win Oscars for those props! Frankly, I'm surprised Dr. Abdullah didn't get with the program and change from the boring westernized suit he wears and get looking more like a legitimate Afghan like Karzai does, he might have made more headway with the US government. Unfortunately, just like when they were preparing for war in Iraq, the American's hear what they wanted to hear, believed what they wanted to believe and set the stage just like they wanted it set. It's too bad that in both Afghanistan and Iraq the final act will be a fiasco!

WHEN WILL AMERICA EVER LEARN. THEY WENT INTO AFGANISTAN / IRAQ FOR CHENEYS SELF INTEREST.THE COUNTRIES ARE THE NEW VIETNAM FOR USA, AND ONCE AGAIN THE WORLD WILL WATCH AS THEY GET KICKED OUT OF BOTH COUNTRIES.

SO MUCH FOR A SUPER POWER.

All Abdullah Abdullah would have done, he being financed by Iran, would have been to aide and abet an Iranian takeover of Afghanistan, and we all know how they deal with women, dissent, and elections.

Afghanistan hab been giving very good chance to start to negotitate and to settle the political crises themselves. The coalition forces can not stay in Afghnistan forever.
It does not metter how, all political parties are to be involved the peace talks and reconciliation. Otherwise Mr Karzei will face the same desity as did Shah Shuja 150 years ago being supported by the British troops.

I do not believe Karzai is a legitimate president. I don't believe our country should be sacrificing our sons and daughters for a government that is corrupt. I don't think we should fight to protect Karzai's illegitimate government with his war lord brother and should be removed from office. I'm glad we are leaving Afghanistan in 2011.

The issue with Afghanistan (and many more countries where US influence is overwhelming) is that local policy (and politics) are far less important for the US than its own foreign interests. Mr. Karzai is loyal to whatever US geopolitical interests are, and for that US forgives him almost anything that Mr. Karzai can pull off in Afghanistan. Therefore Mr. Karzai will stay as a president except for two things: he betrays loyalty to US (which he would probably never do) or US interests change in Afghanistan.

As a result, elections would not change leadership in such a country. They were and will be fraudulent and US applauded and will applaud it. Therefore for the Mr. Karzai to lose, either opposition will convince US to change its foriegn policy, or will sabotage US-let efforts in Afghanistan to the level, when overwhelmingly US citizen decide to pull out altogether from the country. There is a small chance that US opens dialogue with Mr. Abdullah regarding the policy change. Otherwise scenario 2 is most likely to happen.

I wonder how much it cost him?

Stop! People are dieing, hopes are shattered, there is a heavy smell of pain and sorrow in the air. Pull together, set aside differences, work to rebuild the country: this is what Afghans need.
For that you do not need foreign armies or democracy. Just honest hard work.

Just leaving would be a mistake. Yes, "our hands would be clean". Just as Europe's hands are (almost) clean regarding Yugoslavia war – Europe did not interfere for years. But people murdered in that war couldn't care less about cleanliness of someone else's hands. "Stupid America" did interfere.
Helping Afghanistan is hard. It may take a few tries. These elections were a fraud, but these were *first* elections there in how many years? Do you know that elections in US a hundred years ago weren't clean too?

You cannot just leave and pull out as some of the neighbouring powers are trying to convey the message.Imagine what happens imboldened by the defeat of Russia and this time Not only USA but the whole NATO being defeated do you think Taliban will stop there.Absolutely no.You will see Somalia, Yemen next then Kashmir, Palestine and of course you should ready for a restive Middle East.I come from the region and I know what psyche has developed over the years.We cannot think of a point when the international community fails and the world's biggest organisation is defeated. The tribal people have been brutalised, terrorised and hunderds of tribal influentials and elders have been killed with the help of a regional intelligence agency. They certainly need outside help.Lastly a pull out endanger all those thousands of lives that we mobalised againest Taliban and though rudimentary some structure developed.

As we used to say in Vietnam days, "OUT NOW."

The US has its way; its lakey Karzai stays in power.
was it not the us who engineerd this fiasco, from the printuing of extra ballot papers onward?

whatever happens and whoever comes afghanistan is got have a pashtoon president...no tajik or any other minority has the gut to rule 70% strong pashtoon population...end of the story

Electing and nominating a country president in a country made up by several semi autonomous region will not bring peace and prosperity to this land. You have first to have election of some kind of "governors" for each region and then in a congress of governors choose their head and establish the goverment rules. That is what is the job of the central goverment and what is the jos of each governor.
Copy the Swiss cantonal system and you have a better chance of succeding.
I wonder what were US ans EU politicians and generals thinking when they charted Afganistan future. Each country need to adapt democratic principles to the geographycal and etnical background.

It seems unlikely that a tribal nation with multiple diverse cultures and low literacy levels could really have a cohesive centralized government that represents the people.

Karzai is ilegitim president and the only way to become legitim is if he respects the power sharing formula with Abdulla Abdulla based on the persentage that they got.
I am afraid that because of the fact that west needs"moderate" leader in afganistan they will close they eyes , and they shouldnt do that because basically they are killing the democrasy by recgonziing Karzai eventhough there were confirmed massive fraud during voting process.The west have one option for face saving and that is to force Karzai and Avdulla in power sharing, at least this is less evil than pretending that nothing happend during these elections.That is not a democrasy

This is a puppet placed in Afghanistan by Bush's administration and for its own convenience. Unfortunately there is no other option for Obama's administration at this time and they have to deal with this undesireable option. I won't be surprised if things are going to be worse in that country and the safety and life of this character will be geopardized and he will become just another cvasualty.

I think Karzai is a legitimate president. He win the victory over 40 candidate. He defeated the World including UN, he defeated the opposition one by one. He is a through Afghan. God Bless Him and God Bless Great Afghanistan.

It was a cowardily act for Abdullah to withdraw from the runoff election. UN watchdog would have been more careful to see if the runoff election was fair or not. They were never given that chance. And if the runoff election was rigged, I believe the UN watchdog will again void a lot of votes. And Kazai will than be forced to make more changes for maybe another runoff election. By withdrawing from the runoff election, Abdullah action was just unjustified and cowardily. Abdullah just delayed the democratic process of Afghanistan.

Taking into consideration the reality of Afghanistan, Karzai is the winner and the legitimate President of Afghanistan. It is easy to set outside of Afghanistan and talk without knowing the reality on the ground. The election chapter is behind us and let’s thinks about future and calculate what needs to be done to fight against terrorists effectively and establish a strong friendly government in Afghanistan. It will happen soon after we change our mind set; a relation between Afghanistan and United States of America based on mutual interest.

Afghanistan is poverty-stricken, and it's culturally and technologically backwards. What are their main exports? Drugs and terrorists. Their imports? Weapons and extremists. There is no rule of law; most people there think that's crazy. What westerners call corruption is just the way things are done. Trying to impose a government on a people who are so unclear on the concept just won't work.

The best we can do is try to limit those imports and exports, stand back, and ignore the chaos. Anything else is wasted effort.

It is really hard to assess whether Karzai's victory is legitimate or not. On one hand, he could not assume his responsibility to make changes to the allegedely corrupt IEC. While on the other, he is declared constitutionally winner because of his rival withdrew from the run-off. So it's a tough call.

Being an Afghan, I believe it is very unfortunate how a common man in Afghanistan is bearing the burden of dirty politics by these people (Afghan politicians and the U.S). Dr Abdullah had slim chances of win so he played smart and bad by pulling out. Karzai also smartely declared himself winner a day after through the IEC. The U.S obviously does not trust Abdullah to pursue its interests so it remains happy with Karzai.

Let the people of Afghanistan render judgment on that question. I on my part will pray for the prosperity of our people and the people of the world.

US and other superpower installed puppet leaders only excel in one thing...corruption. They ascend into leadership in the spirit of control and power that is vested on them by the US or any intervening country for that matter. Its just like having an alien for a president plain and simple. An illigitimate presidency with shallow or no interest in the governed. And a government without true sense of nationalism is just plain buisness. Trust me I'm from the Philippines

By controlling Afghanistan, the US is just prolonging their agony. Throw them a map and let them figure their way out by themselves.

YES! his acceptance of a run-off and Abdulah's quiting renders him legitimate and if i may add,unopposed.

I feel sorry for Afghans and the western hypocrisy prevails ....once again.

I believe Kat hit the nail on the head "The best we can do is try to limit those imports and exports, stand back, and ignore the chaos. Anything else is wasted effort." The idea of trying to control a lawless country is nothing short of crazy. Learn from history, Afghanistan is a hell hole of disasters, there is no win/win opportunity there.

Technically, yes. So, we must wish him good luck.
But, in principle, no, since the election process process was never fully completed as per due process, somewhat like the 2000 US Presidential elections.

International forces supporting the fight to bring a peaceful drug free Afghanistan united people government and the newly installed second time President Hamid Karzai has the last but only change left to install a corruption free united peoples government in Afghanistan.

The long war and the destruction of Afghanistan history needs to be rewritten with a new chapter of international co-operation on developing a new democratic united peoples Afghanistan aiming at education for all,developement of all villages and totally eradication of its old drug industry.

Hamid Karzai is as legitimate as the presidents of Egypt, Angola, Algeria, Israel... If it suits us we will "approve" of undemocratic "Presidents". What happened to Marcos, Saddam, Noriega, the Shah of Iran ?? ... Truth prevails.

Get out of Afghanistan and let them deal with their own problem. It is nor worth it to lose our soldiers life there. Nothing will change the situation there.

Hey Adam!

I think Israeli PM (president is not important there) is quite legitimate – even if you may not like israeli policies, Israel is part of exclusive club of democracies. Also "truth prevails" is very vague in my opinion. I would rather say – practicality and power prevails. If Saddam did not piss off USA, he could safely kill any innocents he he wished, marcos was overthrown by its own elite (and rightfully so), Shah the same, Noriega did stupidest thing – he crossed his sponsor. So tell me where it is where "truth prevails".