Ambassador Khalilzad on Karzai and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah ‘Both Want Power-Sharing’
Speaking to Christiane Amanpour and Tom Ricks on CNN, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad not only stated that he believes a power-sharing agreement between Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Hamid Karzai is imminent, but re-asserted that with few capable Afghans in the nation, there is little choice if either candidate hopes to have success in Afghanistan:
AMANPOUR: Well, let me ask you — you were just there. Tom and I and everybody have been watching this whole political dilemma and drama unfold. You met both with President Karzai and his challenger, Dr. Abdullah. Do you think that, despite a run-off, there will be power-sharing or not?
KHALILZAD: I think there will be power-sharing. Both want power- sharing. The difference is that Karzai wanted to be first declared the winner or win the election and then offer something from a position of strength, while Abdullah Abdullah wanted to go to a second round, but have a power-sharing agreement without the vote. And I believe that ultimately there will be a power-sharing.
There are very few very capable Afghans, and they need to come together in a power-sharing arrangement, because whatever the decision is here in the United States, this will be one last chance to push for success in Afghanistan, and that cannot happen without the Afghan leaders doing their part.