It's not as if Afghanistan would be any more "free" if this guy did run the whole country. It's "our" puppet courts that are sentencing people to die for blasphemy, just as one example.

Well, what he actually said was:
"Me a puppet? My God.
"Anyway, Americans have helped Afghanistan tremendously. The American people have a feeling for Afghanistan a very, very great feeling.
"The U.S administration has helped Afghanistan and if we are called puppets, or if I am called a puppet because we are grateful to America, then let that be my nickname."

Which is a puppet thing to say, I suppose.

Is he the strings-from-above kind or the hand-up-the-ass kind?

That's 'Islamic' Subby. Please try to refrain from inserting your ethnocentric worldview into the headlines. Thank you.

Churchill2004: It's not as if Afghanistan would be any more "free" if this guy did run the whole country. It's "our" puppet courts that are sentencing people to die for blasphemy, just as one example.

B b b we're spreading Democracy!

Shaggy_C: That's 'Islamic' Subby. Please try to refrain from inserting your ethnocentric worldview into the headlines. Thank you.

Yeah Subby, you wouldn't want them Islamists to get all riled up and going around blowing up innocent children trying to go to school would you?

/not subby

NICE CROP


2001 Afghan opium production = less than 5% of world
2007 Afghan opium production = 92% of world production


Can I hear a Mission Accomplished there good buddy?

FTFA: The truth is that without the United States in Afghanistan, Afghanistan would be a very poor, miserable country, occupied by neighbors and al Qaeda and terrorists.

While, on the other hand, with the United States (and NATO, to be fair) in Afghanistan, Afghanistan is a very poor, miserable country, occupied by a bunch of jarheads, al Qaeda and terrorists.

I'm guessing that's somehow preferable. ;)

I think we are there so we can prevent them from rebuilding their incredible arsenal of ICBM's and long-range strategic bombers. They are clearly a threat to the Homeland.

I've never seen opium before. The flowers are really pretty.

Subby: "I am a U.S. puppet"

Article:

On his perceived image as an impotent leader in thrall to the U.S. administration, Karzai, said he was willing to shoulder insults in return for U.S. assistance.

"Me a puppet? My God.

"Anyway, Americans have helped Afghanistan tremendously. The American people have a feeling for Afghanistan a very, very great feeling.

"The U.S administration has helped Afghanistan and if we are called puppets, or if I am called a puppet because we are grateful to America, then let that be my nickname.

Dunno about that one, Subby

It's a damn shame the struggle in Afghanistan against the Taliban (remember them ? they actually had something to do with 9/11) has been neglected to further the objectives of people like Rupert Murdoch, the house of Saud and those who profited from looting Americas future.

Nuke the site for orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

Perhaps if America hadn't sided with the Northern Alliance the drug crops wouldn't be back in pre-Taliban levels.

Interesting trivia: America gave the Taliban $200,000,000 in foreign aid as a reward for stomping out the opium crops.

With that many poppies, do you think they're having trouble with people falling asleep as they walk through them?

/snark

Alphax: With that many poppies, do you think they're having trouble with people falling asleep as they walk through them?

I got a little bit tired of walking down this old blinding yellow road,
So pulled my little tired old body off to a little rest area
And lo and behold there's a little field of little red flowers out there,
And they, heh, smelled so good. Whoa.
I was gettin' pretty tired and they smelled so good, and I
Figured, well, I'll just stretch out in this little field of

POPPIES! POPPIES! POPPIES! poppies....
(Cough)
Hey, what a strange dream, man!
The little flowers, they smell awfully good, and I was pretty tired.
The old wizard's just gonna have to wait, man, because I'm just gonna
Stretch out again in the little field of

POPPIES! POPPIES! poppies...
OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD!
Dorothy! Dorothy! Dorothy!
(SNIFFFFFFF)
DOROTHY! DOROTHY! DOROTHY!

Karzai's ego is too big if he thinks he's a "puppet president." In reality he's more like the "mayor of Kabul puppet."

Or "Afghan President Hamid Karzai is appreciative of US aide and support" guess it depends on how you read the article isn't it

Subby sounds like he'd rather Karzai was an Islamic puppet instead of a US puppet. The last thing we need is another Islamonut.

glassa: Subby sounds like he'd rather Karzai was an Islamic puppet instead of a US puppet.

I thought Karzai was a Sunni Muslim?

...if I am called a puppet because we are grateful to America, then let that be my nickname.

Actually yer official nickname is "Mayor of Kabul"

Being America's Meat Puppet is more wotcha call... a fact.

Latest poll data I could find in a hurry, via ABC (new window). A large majority still support the NATO presence.