Afghanistan: Good Governance?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai sparked grave concerns in the U.S. administration last week by ordering an investigation of two American anti-corruption units involved in the recent arrest of some senior officials in the Afghan government on bribery and graft charges, arguing that the units were acting outside of the Afghan constitution. Afghanistan’s attorney general indicated that Karzai intends to issue new regulations for the Major Crimes Task Force and Special Investigative Unit. According to Karen DeYoung writing in The Washington Post, “Karzai’s sharp reaction startled U.S. officials in Kabul and Washington, and has been the focus of a series of emergency, high-level meetings,” with one American official calling the situation the “most serious” crisis for U.S. efforts in Afghanistan since last year’s widely criticized elections. A senior U.S. official reported that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton emphasized to Karzai last week that “any steps to undercut or remove powers or authorities from [the anti-corruption units] would be a step backwards.” Meanwhile, Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), who heads the House Appropriations subcommittee in charge of funds for Afghanistan, commented that the move was “extremely troubling,” adding that “that money will not go forward until I get clearance that the promises and commitments that have been made by the Afghan government to work in good faith to stop corruption have taken place.” In comments to the subcommittee, U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke had previously stated that “if corruption isn’t dealt with, other things won’t succeed” in Afghanistan.