Editor's note: Read all of Security Clearance's coverage of the 2012 NATO summit in Chicago. Follow our reporting and other key NATO tweets with our NATO summit Twitter list.
By Jamie Crawford
If Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California, an influential member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is looking for a country to visit as a member of a congressional delegation, he can cross Afghanistan off his list.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Rohrabacher have been at loggerheads over the congressman's push for a more decentralized Afghan government. Asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer about the disagreement, Karzai said he is against letting Rohrabacher into the country.
"Until he changes his tongue, until he shows respect to the Afghan people, to our way of life and to our constitution ... No foreigner has a place asking another people, another country to change their constitution. Have we ever asked the United States to change its constitution?" Karzai said in an exclusive interview that aired Monday on "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer."
Both Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told Rohrabacher it was not a good idea to travel to Afghanistan based on their own conversations with Karzai. Rohrabacher agreed, and did not travel on with the delegation from its previous stop in Dubai.
As chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, Rohrabacher said his past scrutiny of the Afghan government and examination of how U.S. funds are spent in the war-torn nation likely played a role in Karzai's displeasure.
Coming on the heels of revelations of U.S. soldiers burning Qurans, and the alleged killing of Afghan civilians at the hands of a U.S. soldier, Clinton told Rohrabacher the timing of the visit was not right
"She felt that another mini-crisis might erupt," Rohrabacher told Blitzer last month, "because Karzai hated me so much that he would create a crisis, and she just thought it would be disruptive to our ability to get her job done."
Rohrabacher went on to call the mercurial Afghan leader a "corrupt prima donna" in the same interview.
In the interview that aired Monday, Karzai said he is firm on his position on Rohrabacher not because the congressman is "dangerous," but as a "matter of principle."
"Freedom of speech is good, we respect that, but the freedom of speech with regard to other countries is another issue," Karzai told Blitzer.
Rohrabacher later released a statement through his office saying he would not "apologize to Karzai or any other corrupt leader.
"Afghanistan is failing because Karzai and his corrupt clique are incompetent leaders, not because the U.S. hasn't pumped enough money or blood to help the brave people of Afghanistan ... Right now, I'm more concerned with getting American troops out of that country so they won't continue to needlessly die than I am getting myself into Afghanistan to meet with officials like Karzai," Rohrabacher said in the statement.
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Google Gary Johnson.
Hey let's not let any Americans into Afghanistan.
I just looked up Rohrabacher. Can't say I blame Karzai.
After we leave Afghanistan ,Taliban will hang Karzai in soccer field.
No shit.
Republicans are so out of touch on foreign policy it is a wonder half the world even talks to them. They have no idea what diplomacy entails and will have us into another war if elected. You don't have to like the afgans but you do have to watch what and how you say things, Repos are idiots. Obama 2012
Again, it's a republican vs democrat issue? Old news. Try something new like look at the facts for a change. Your democrat leaders have fizzled at every opportunity, ie...Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, China, Afghanistan, Libya and North Korea. We're not even considered an ally to the Israelis anymore. Oh, I remember, all of Obama's failures are Bush's fault.
Kevin, glad you're finally catching on. Yes, this was Bush's fault because they had actionable intelligence about the 911 attacks and did nothing. And we don't need to be Israel's ally. They are the main reason for the 911 attacks, bin Laden said so himself. The only reason we continue to prop them up is because our politicians are afraid of a revolt by our own Jewish population. Nothing against Jews, but Israel needs to stand on its own feet.
Judy, I agree with you. Americans are notoriously ignorant of other cultures and people and in typical Republican fashion Rorhabacher thinks America has all the answers for everyone everywhere. I wonder how much time he has spent living in a foreign culture..., not living in American style hotels but living among the people?
He can come in if he bring much more acid so we can throw on women and children. Or bring more sheep. The cute kind.
Who really wants to go to any Shltholeistan country? Hahahahahahaha
This is why we should pull-out now, not 2014. Karzai would be talking about freedom of speech without the US and other countries and he shows little appreciation. He tries to throw our soldiers under the bus anytime a mistake is made. He demands dangerous engagement policies that get our soldiers killed. Time for this little soldier to buck up and take care of his own country.
What makes Karzai think that ANYBODY in their right mind wants to go to Afghanistan?
We were attacked by forces that armed and trained from afghan soil. We should have nuked these savages off the face of the earth, forget nation building and spending our tax dollars on those that belong in the 7th century BC.
and that's why most of the world hates America and thinks your all a bunch of bigots. Close minded right-wing idiotogy...sorry Ideology has done more harm in the world than any terrorist attack ever could.
Don't waste your time on sawolf. He's a total piece of shit.
Big deal he won't let the Congressman in Afghanistan. Dress the congressman like a taliban and smuggle him across Tora Bora. LOL....Karzai really thinks he controls the country. Mwahh ha Ha ha !
Karzai has a point... but only to a point. Lots of readers flipped out when CNN ran an op-ed by Fareed Zakaria on whether we should update our Constitution. On the other hand, Afghanistan's elections have been a sham, Karzai himself has been linked to corruption, and thus it's disingenuous at best for him to assert that Congressman Rohrabacher's critiques somehow constitute an "insult to the Afghan people".
It is his country and he can dictate who visits it. The congressman is a bully and acts like one in any interview he has been on. But the people of his district that vote for him like that in their man becuae they are like him in many ways !
Scot, I agree with you. Americans are notoriously ignorant of other cultures and people and in typical Republican fashion Rorhabacher thinks America has all the answers for everyone everywhere. I wonder how much time he has spent living in a foreign culture..., not living in American style hotels but living among the people?
Scot, this is the man responsible for ensuring YOUR tax money is spent accordingly. Perhaps Karzai doesn't want him in the country because he will see how our money has been diverted into Karzai's pocket. After a few billion dollars, you would expect some improvements in that country. All I see is a new cape every other day hanging off Karzai's shoulders. I'm tired of him wearing my tax dollars and driving around in his nice Mercedes (bullet-proof). Let's forget about him and let the place go to heck again. Then we can get attacked again. Hmmmmm?
Get the hell out of our lands. find oil in ur f. land. kiss my sandy butt
How about you don't let mass murdering sociopaths train and equip in your country! Otherwise we will come back and blow you sandy but to kingdom come again!
like tim mcveigh, the unabomber, the olympic park bomber, oh yeah, remind me again where did the 911 pilots get their flight training???
Eat Crap..Towel Head!
Just goes to show you how completely out of wack republicans are on foreign policy (not to mention, the economy, jobs, defense and just about everything else)
You know of course, that its the democrats that are making policy now right? This man is part of a committee responsible for making sure all the money this current adminsitration is pumping into this toilet gets spent in a manner that it was intended...you know, new cars for Karzai, a new cape, nice shoes, tooth brush, etc...
Even Afghanistan won't let a republican in its country. How can we do that here?
Try getting away from your computer for a moment and vote. Ever done that? Didn't think so...
You people don't realize how stupid you are calling Obama a Nazi. Do you people realize there has never been a black Nazi. all people that are calling themselves Nazi are white. Remember they wanted a superior race.
I think another reason why Karzai did not want him to come was because he was a GAY!
the fact is no one has ever been successful invading afghanistan and taking over the people and no one ever will. congress man should understand their limit and repeat their schooling or update themselves rather be ignorant. If america is spending their tax dollars in afghanistan guess what all the members of NATO is spending money in a war torn country and clearly there is a reason to go after afghanistan. USA and the rest of the nato members are investing money and blood to get free underground raw material of afghanistan you can't buy it so try to take over it with force. too bad not happening. i agree karzai is corrupt maybe he is suppose to be corrupt it is not easy to run that country I bet the best leader of the world cannot run that country. He lost his corrupt brother and his life is fear. USA should understand it is time to take care of americans first and educate them rather than telling them we are the strongest country. ppl pls go educate yourself about our american government and its constitution.
Are you clueless? We did successfully invade Afghanistan and we have successfully occupied them for sometime. The amount of losses we have incurred are very low compared to any other war fought on planet earth in the last thousand years. If we leave, its because we feel the people there are hopeless to bother helping any further. To much corruption and incompetence in their government, and Karzai is as worthless as they come.
Yes what you are saying is true but the fact remains is that an insurgency over there is impossible to stop. We could never fully dominate that country. Afghanistan is pretty much doing what they always have done and as soon as we leave it will return to the hotbed of savages it has always been. Sorry, I know its not PC but it is true.
Unlike Iraq, we had just cause to invade but even with Obama's noble intentions we will never change their culture.
No offense intended, but read a little more history. Alexander the Great successfully invaded Afghanistan. Following his death, the Greek troops stationed there revolted (with the intent of returning back home). After their defeat, the Seleucus ruled what amounts to most of modern Afghanistan and much of Pakistan until sometime around 250 B.C. At that point, the "Greco-Bactrian kingdom" arose, which ruled over the same Afghan territories until the late second century B.C. It fell not due to internal revolt but following successive nomadic invasions.
We want your money in our pockets but we do not want you to come over here.
Rorhrabacker needs to stay home and all our congressmen and women and senators need to stay home and stop travelling the world at taxpayer expense.
Karzai is a sicko, psycho, corrupted, dishonest, cheating and betraying Nato. I do not understand the world leaders of Nato trust him and give him anymore.
Sonny
how do you know this??? do you have some inside info. or are you listening to the GOP. Everything that you have stated can be applied to our own congressmen
yes your right. Its all political. With the USA in their country we are close to those we want to spy on.
I completely agree, he is as worthless as they come, except to the religious extremists and his corrupt followers, he is great to them.
Karzai is a US puppet. Don't ever forget that. Look at his resume. The US put him in power because of his oil conections and nothing else.
You think the Pentagon doesn't know millions are flying out the back door?
America pushes propaganda , how do we know what they are telling us is true. I mean look at our elections, Obama is a Muslim, not American. They are all lies.
yes dear, now run along and play
Dude, he is clearly an American Muslim! Deal with it. Oh, and also a Communist, Facist Nazi sympathizer who wants to give your tax refunds to black people on welfare...or something. Pass the paint chips, please!
Do you people listen to your self's. It is very amusing, Obama is respecting other countries, stop drinking the kool-aid, stop feeding into the insanity. You want to talk about communism just look at your side. Republicans want to rule, A true leader empowers his people not want to rule them.
You just opened your mouth and proved you are and idiot. Have a good day!
You've got to be joking right. There are corrupt governments everywhere; however the United States nor a Congressman cannot simply demand a sovergn government to change. What Hubis. Also, what has this article got to do with President Obama. Please remain focused on the issue and stop speaking in nonsense talking points about the President is a Muslim.
It could be worse.
He could be a Mormon!
Muslim clearly worse than Mormon – both preachings of ancient, primitive fantasy, but Muslims are on a much worse 'adventure' than the Mormons
Could you point out Muslim on a map? I would like to visit it someday. Muslim is a religious label like Christian... There are many American Muslims. Please close your trap your stupid is showing.
Kthanksbai!
How many metric tons and billions of dollars of opium (heroin) are being trafficked from Afghanistan to the streets of the world?
Shouldn’t we start paying the opium farmers to stop growing opium (poppies)?
And shouldn’t we start helping them grow crops that can be used to feed their people and trade to other countries?
How many government officials are becoming wealthy, by supporting and participating in this opium trade?
Shouldn't we be addressing this?
You hit it right on the nail head.
The Afghan government may be corrupt with money funneling, (hmm, the US Government is not?) but Dana Rohrabacher is a presumptuous self-absorbed blowhard, the classic rightwing nut with an inflated sense of self-importance... a bit of 'power' and he is suddenly thumping his chest telling the rest of humanity how to live when he and his rightwing cronies in DC have left this country a financial mess and destroyed generations of U.S. diplomatic influence and foreign policy advances during Bush/Cheney's idiotic approach to "How to Win Friends and Influence People". Its retirement time, Dana!
We don't want Karzai here either the little parasite coward.
We as a Nation have to listen to all the disrespect and the verbal Abuse to our President, here Rohrabacher attacks the leader of another country and can expect to go into that country. Some people still have ethics, you can't treat me any old way you like, and expect me to listen to you.
Excellent comment. Americans have lost their civility and the level of disrespect is amazing. You may not like the President however you should respect the office.
Let's get the hell out of that country NOW, not in 2014! We cannot and should not even try to change these primitive people, and even after we are gone from there nothing will change. The Taliban will still rule!
Good for Karzai. If only we could evict republicans from the USA.
Here, Here! I am so tired of us thinking that we should run around exposing our beliefs on everyone else and being the worlds police. It's time we turn our full attention back to the US.
What's so wrong with exposing freedom to the rest of the world. Did someone make you special somehow? If you can't see that the rest of the world deserves to be free to live as they please, you shoudn't live here either. As far as the world's policeman, try to remember history, we were attacked. Had your buddies in Afghanistan not attacked us, we wouldn't be over there. Maybe you think the French didn't deserve liberation, or perhaps the Jews didn't deserve freedom from their nazi oppressors? Do you really think that the millions of people killed by the world's dictators don't deserve their freedoms? Who made you special?
what a poverty stricken, welfare class of a nation we would have then if it was all democrats and their 'i need what you have to make me feel better' entitlement attitudes.
This is one of the biggest problems that not only face America, but other countries as well. These Republicans think they can rule every body, The Republicans always wants to be the police of the world. They are one of the main causes of why other countries hate us.. They want to set the rules, and we need to Obey. They need to put their ego in check and realize that other country's and U.S. citizens don't think they are right.
As long as they are receiving billions of dollars from us, we get a say in where that money goes. This man can't get into Afghanistan not because of what he thinks, it's because Karzai knows that he has the power to shut down the welfare from the US.
If only we could keep him from reentering the USA.
Bazinga!
The guy has no shame. He claims he's not american, but he's got dozens of relatives in the US including a corrupt brother in Virginia.
And he will probably come to live here in a few years because his government will not survive once the US pulls out. The tajiks, pashtoons, uzbeks and taliban will start fighting again as they've done for centuries.
Its simple. First get out of every country in the middle east. Let them govern and do what they want. Second, Protect our borders to the highest level possible. The money we spend over there would only be a fraction of what we need here. If any middle eatern wants to come in, they must go thru extreme measures. Let the TAliban and Alquaida do what they want as long as its outside of the U.S.
Didn't work out so well on September 11, 2001, did it?
cannot beleive we are catering to this heroin money launderer.........Hillary, your 15 minutes are way up....bye bye!
Memo to Karzai, either let Rohrabacher into your country or the US should cancel all money and troops for your Taliban hosting country
Rohrabacher is a pompous pug. Keep him out of international politics.
This racist scum should not be allowed and should never ever ever be allow in Afghanistan.
Why?
We don't want him living here on tax payer support as I'm sure he'd like to do.
Afgans should fix afganistan. Why is this america's job.
Talking about Rohrabacher, not Karzai
How is he a racist? Source???
Wny is the US so soft on Karzai, who has mastered the art of bullying America, while being totally dependent on it for every need. He sits in his palace defended by US soldiers. His brother lives in Virginia and has grown rich through his afghan connections. Karzai wears fancy suits and travels in style. He is president of one of the most impoverished countries in the world.
Afganistan was in Civil war when we went in there. Its not our job to 'create' a stable afganistan. Get outta there!
Because we want their oil...Same with the Saudis....
They don't have oil boy!
There is no oil in afganistan.
Ahh...the well informed sqeak again. What a maroon.
Wrong. It's not oil. It's the trillion dollar mineral deposits that they discovered. There vast deposits of iron, cobalt, copper, gold, and most importantly lithium. The amount of lithium deposits discovered, if mined, could turn Afghanistan into the Saudi Arbia/Dubai of lithium. Until that region is stable, they will never be able to build the infrastructure to start mining.
God forbid that I would agree with a Republican, but in this matter I support Rep Rohrbacher completely. Karzai has demonstrated time and time again that he is either unwillining or unable to control what goes on in his couintry. Al Qaeda based their planning and attacks out of that country and the Taliban continues to slaughter innocents and destroy culture in that country. If Karzai is so upset about Rohrbacher calling a spade a spade then we can bring all the troops home, cut foreign aid to Afghanistan, and led him try and manage it himself. I've get a pretty good idea of what the ourcome would be.
Karzai is corrupt, the entire system is a mess, but ITS THEIR COUNTRY. We don't have to be there and spend money and lives for them. As to being diplomatic- if more forthright, honest dialogue was used and less dancing around issues so as to not offend anyone then perhaps we'd get thngs done. Tell it like it is Congressman.
Perhaps we should have our Congressmen relocate to Afghanistan and run their government from there. Lord knows they can't govern the U.S.
I do not understand the world leaders are crazy about the man Hamid Karzai. He is crazy, betraying, and corrupted.
The Senator has no respect for diplomacy!
That is really the point here. NONE OF HIS BUSINESS! Yes, Karzai is a corrupt, inept hack...but he's OUR corrupt, inept hack! And as such, it is up to the President and the State Dept. to "work with him" to resolve this awful situation. Members of Congress, especially the H of R, have little or no business meddling in anything other than pot hole maintenance.
Holy crap!!! This man is responsible for the billions of dollars pumped into that country by the Obama adminstration. He has every right to see how that money is spent or wasted. Our Constitutions allocates the power of the purse to the H of R, not the President.
All things considered and I am not fan of Republican Congressmen, I laud Dana Rohrabacher for saying what needs to be said. Kudos to you congressmen
While the Congressman won't win any awards for tact and it was probably the right decision to forego a visit to Afghanistan, isn't it ok sometimes to tell the truth. I can't think of a better moniker for Mr. Karzai then "corrupt prima donna." Good for you Congressman.
inasmuch as our men and women are dying for karzai and his people, our representatives have a right to express their opinions and visit the place of their sacrifice without this crap re "respect". If he wants respect, than he should control his own people and not beg for our help!
I totally agree. Karzai has lost his credibility, deserves no respect, and his stinking country deserves no aid from America.
If this is the kind of guy who has a voice on foreign affairs, we are truly doomed as a nation. Contrary to what some idiot politicians thinks, there are other religions, other cultures, and other governments besides what we have in the US. That doesn't make them wrong, it just makes them DIFFERENT. Some people have forgotten the meaning of the word 'respect.'
Respect comes from trust. Karzai is hardly trustworthy. He can't be trusted with OUR money, he can't be trusted with OUR values, he can't even be trusted with basic human values, he can't be trusted with military matters, religious freedoms, basic human rights, rights for women, defense of his own borders, etc... How is there respect when he accepts our money with a smile, turns to the local cameras and screams "Down with America"? What respect?
this long description what karzai cannot be trusted with,made me think of Romney Ryan and your GOP friends.
Dana is a disgrace. He is hateful and racist.
typical american politican – who does not represent the american people
Yeah, your right. We should never call a spade a spade, nor a known corrupt politician by any other name but Karzai.
I wish we could keep him outta America.
Dana should consider the PRC instead. His lobbying efforts to allow Hughes Electronics, one of his "constituents", to launch satellites in the PRC allowed technology tranfers that jump-started the Chineses' manned space program. I'm sure they'l be glad to see him again.
I'm not sure which I trust less at this point. Both men are arrogant arses.
We wish he'd leave Calif. too! Darn Afghanistan, we wanted you to keep him there!
If he won't allow a US Congressman to go there then the first withdrawal we should make is Karzai's security detail.
"Have we ever asked the United States to change its constitution?" Karzai said
Leave now and quit sending them my tax money!
THE CONGRESSMAN IS RIGHT KARZI IS A CORRUPT SCUMBAG.
rohrabacher is entitled to his opinion as far as what kind of person karzai is, and as a member of the house foreign affairs committee, he is in a position to have information about the afghan government that would influence any recommendations he has to make, but considering the current state of affairs, he needs to keep a civil tongue in his head. calling the leader of a foreign country, regardless of circumstances, a "corrupt prima donna" is not likely to net anyone a warm welcome. pi**ing off karzai isn't going to get rid of the corruption or bring the troops home. it's not whether rohrabacher is right, it's whether he can be diplomatic when dealing with the little twerp. "As chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, Rohrabacher said his past scrutiny of the Afghan government and examination of how U.S. funds are spent in the war-torn nation likely played a role in Karzai's displeasure." was it "past scrutiny" or the way he flaps his jaw? whatever it is rohrabacher wants to see happen, continually calling karzai corrupt, true tho it may be, isn't going to get it done. doesn't he know that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?
We need to stay out of the business of others countries and get our own house in order. Take care of and make America for Americans first.
Karzai has proven himself to be corrupt, limp-wristed, and incompetent. The sooner we get troops out of there, the sooner the Taliban can take over and kick Karzai back to his summer home in Dubai.
LIMP WRISTED ? Do you judge your world leaders by their body language ? The George W. Rooster Strut or the Mussolini Arm Cross must have impressed you.
Israel is smart enough to not let people in if they speak against the interest of Israel, and I support that. So if I am going to be fair, unlike some people, I have to support their right to not allow people in who do not respect them or their constitution. I certainly don't think any American in their right mind would want anyone coming her telling us to chanhe our Constitution.
sorry typo, coming here telling us to change our constitution
Freedom of Speech in the US gives anyone the right to say it regardless of where they are from. Just goes to show you...we should not be there spending our money and spilling our blood.
when we get afghan help in controlling our streets they can comment on our political system and constitution. last time i looked, we were patrolling their streets and giving them our blood. we have the right to make any comments we feel necessary.
Happens all the time. In America, a difference of opinion does not preclude you from the conversation, as it apparently does in Afghanistan. Rohrbacker is a loudmouth blowhard, but he isn't entirely wrong here...
The problem with this is, it's just words. It's not like the guy took some action against Karzai and his band of misfit toys. The reason Karzai doesn't want Rohrabacher there is because there is a political ground swell in Afghanistan that agrees with Rohrabacher. If Karzain is afraid of one US congressman's words, that should tip us off to how much he thinks he can maintain power when our boys are gone? This will end with an Afghanistan once again is chaos and Karzai's head one a stick.
"Afganastan is falling becuase......" Rep Rohabacher is now saying what the liberes were saying from day one.
He's a flip flopper just because a DEM in in the WH. IF Rromney wins Rohrabacher be will change his tune again.
No wonder Rohabacher doesn't listen to the constituents in the 46th district in California. He's too busy trying to tell Karzai how to run Afghanistan. Bravo President Karzai. Congressman: Why not try doing the job for which you were elected for a change?
He's right. It's not OUR country. Keep our noses out of other peoples business. We can barely run our own country.
You are way off base. They attacked, we invaded and defeated them. Now we are playing. We conquered therm and we should do as we like to rid the world of the scourge of the Taliban and Islamic radicals.
Our wimp ass government is the problem. Playing nice.
They never attacked. People who were using their country as a hidey-hole, or so we thought, attacked us. There was no military strike against us by Afghanistan. The sooner you realize that, the better understanding of what happened there you will have.
Wrong, Al qaeda attack, on 911 not the Taliban. But we went after the Taliban that was locked in a 3 way civil war.
The Taliban nation / state interest in what Al qaeda did.
But the Repugs went into nation building and being the policeman of the work.
insteading for going one step sort of nuking Al qaeda.
You and your kind's ignorant cock of the walk warped mentality is why so many have died needlessly. Wake up to the reality of the 21st century and realize might does not make right in and of itself.
Another Tough Talking Neo-Con. Did you skip Vietnam like Bush, Cheney, Limbaugh, Newt, O'Reilly, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Perles,etc.,etc. ?
"They attacked, we invaded and defeated them"
Talking of being way off base.
you actually believe that is the way of it dont you? wow.
The Taliban, who were running Afghanistan at the time, supported al Qaeda, who DID attack the US. We invaded, kicked the Taliban out, and TRIED to help the people of Afghanistan form a stable, secure, PEACEFUL government. It doesn't seem to be going as well as we had hoped, but we DID have a compelling and important reason for going there in the first place. 3,000 dead American citizens is unacceptable!
I do not applaud the Congressman's comments (more for tone than content), but I think that time has shown he is not entirely off-base with his accusations, although he certainly could use a bit more TACT in how he said it.
Did he call them towel heads? Hahahahahahaha
Screw the Afghan people. You restrict our visitors, we keep our money at home.
It's regrettable that we have Officials that say inappropriate things that offend people in other Countries, however, to BAN a US Politician is over reaching. A letter of condemnation, a warning regarding certain speech, or something to that effect would be more ideal. We're doing a lot for the Afghan people, so show some respect for us.
Our country is mad...we thought we could go in there, buy them, tell them what to do and they would give in to us. We are mad they will not, no matter what we pay them. Not everyone is for sale. Our first mistake was thinking we could keep buying governments. We are broke from paying other countries to treat us with respect. We must respect ourselves first.
Exactly. Well stated Paul. I believe we should bring our young people in arms home and guard our borders. The real problem is Mexico.
You are a @#$@# moron
Amen brother.
How are we "buying" them when they steal 3/4 of everything we give them?
Big bomb......BOOM, instant glass.. problem solved
You've been watching too many John Wayne/Ronald Reagen movies. P.S.-they're fiction.
Just two losers fighting over who is a bigger loser.
His country – his choice.
Time to leave. I agree 100% with Obama on this one.
Karzai may be corrupt, but Rohrabacher has no right to tell the President of Afghanistan or any member of its Government to change its constitution. The sheer arrogance of the Congressman is a reminder just how out of step the Republican Party is when it comes to foreign relations. If people in power think we can unilaterally bully another nation, then it is time for them to be removed from power.
If their constitution was effective they wouldn’t need up holding their hands. Karzai and Afgan in general is in no place to be taking the indignant sovereign stance.
Kerry, I am not a Republican first and foremost. However, the Congressman is right we have shed blood and pumped too much money into this government so he feels he has a right to criticize and openly question the leadership in Afghaniistan. If we werent there if we were not losing our troops due nonsense violence then perhaps the Congressman shouldn't speak, but we have a vested interest in Afghanistan.
I dont blame Karzai. I wouldn't let Rohrabacher on my property either.
I don't blame Karzai either! Hell would freeze over before I let Rohrabacher on any of my property!!!!!!!!
I think we should listen to what he and the afghan people say and not tell them what to do, in fact in order to follow their wishes we should immediately end all aid to them so they will not be insulted that we think they need our help in running their country. next we should pull the troops out so we are not seen as invaders as they are quite capable of taking care of themselves. next when the taliban return and they get what they deserve not a single afghan should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S.A. to live and enjoy the decadent lifesyle they find so offensive. in fact since all islamic countries feel this way we should all do them the same favor as we would not want to offend them .
I agree we should not give aid to any middle east country. We should take that money and pay down the national debt.
Yeah that or not let that idiot speak for the rest of us. Dana Rohrabacher is not a good rep of our country. This is why people don't like us. He and people like him think they are smarter than others when in fact only stupid people think they are smarter.
You have my vote.
Put them on "Ignore" from an aid perspective. Cut off the money and the bin laden's of the world are relegated back to throwing rocks instead of funding armed campaigns against the US. Implement a "loaf of bread for a barrel of oil" policy.
In the context of not just Afghanistan, but the entire region. Make them need us for a change..not the other way around.
I'd rather they do that with Pakistan. That's the truly corrupt coutnry in that part of the world. I have a Pakistani acquaintance who's been telling me for years that the real issue is in Pakistan, not Afghanistan. Says something right there.
Karzai translation: "Freedom of speech is good... unless it does its key job of criticizing leaders who are plainly corrupt and incompetent."
The republicans are steadily screwing up this country. Why would we expect them not to try and branch out to new countries to drive into the ground. The only thing I can agree with is that we have pumped more money and more blood of our soldiers into that country than we ever needed to. It is time to get out just like every other country that has had a war in that area. Success in turning that country into the ideals of the invading army has failed many times. The list of those that have tried is very long and distinguished....Alexander the Great, The Persian Empire, Genghis Khan, Timur, Russian Tsars, The British, The Soviet Union. It is time to get out of that third world country and leave it to its own way.
Republicans? I don't think it matters what party really. They both, Republicans and Dems are doing a real fine job messing this country up. I really feel for the younger generations going forward.
I'm not sure how Rohrabacher votes on other issues, but on this one, he is 100% correct. If only more congressmen had the balls to call Karzai out for his corruption - the Taliban are gaining popularity because even though they are perceived as being brutal and violent, they are not corrupt.
Bravo! I'm an independent, but I couldn't agree more with the Congressman's position. We need to get out of the middle east and take our money with us. Let failed nations like afghanistan figure i9t out for themselves.
Republican rep needs to sit down and shut his mouth. Does he not understand that our soldiers are still there in afganistan. His recklessness is putting those soliders live in harms ways and for what to appeal to a few people in this country that share his view. What is is doing is a not show of strength, its dangerous for the soldiers.
I was stuck over there for a year working directly with the Afghan government. I've seen how they (the gov) hide funds, make corrupt deals with friends and fellow tribesman and misuse assets bought or given to them using US taxpayer funds. The sooner the American people come to grips with the reality that they have spent over $500B dollars and sacrificed a few thousand brave men and women with nothing gained, the easier the pain will be to deal with in 10 years when our kids are reading about the biggest mistake the U.S. has made in their history books. Our government keeps telling us that the area is much safer since the US/NATO has intervened. I worked in the "Ring of Steel", the most secure section in Kabul and the Taliban and their brainwashed minions where able to walk into that area pretty much at will and carry out organized attacks. They want our money, they don't want us or us telling them how to spend our money. C'mon leaders of the free world, let's start rebuilding our own country rather than pouring money into a country that, unfortunately, will revert back to it's old self the minute we pull the last boots off the ground.
It's too bad that d**k is allowed in the USA! Amazing that he has evaded jail like his pedophile aide and his pal Jack Abramoff...
We need to be out of Afghanistan yesterday. We've already announced our surrender date, there's no point whatsoever in continuing to fight and sacrifice young Americans, just so we can orchestrate a politically-motivated pullout on a predetermined date. Like Iraq, this country will fall into chaos because Americans chose to forfeit the war instead of win it. Shameful, you'd think we would have learned something from Vietnam, but apparently not.
Send him anyway, and if he doesn't come back, so what? Republicans are plentiful and cheap.
The truth hurts. The Afghan government IS corrupt.
I agree wit alot of you about Karzi and the Congressman has the right to express how he feels aboout the situation in Afghanistan. But!!! We still have Soldiers marines and Airmen fighting a war on the American peoples behalf and when people stand up and say these things in situations like this the war gets worst for us. More IED's and more Suicide bombers. I agree in free speach, but there is a time to express yourself and a time to hold your tongue until it's the right time.
When would that time be Jay? Should our government send over all speeches and remarks to Karazi so he can edit them for things he doesn't like? Should every member of Congress call Karazi and ask him what's permissable to say about him or Afganistan? It's called free speech just for that. Because in this country EVERY citizen has that right. Even congressmen. If Karazi doesn't like what Congress says about him or Afganistan, then maybe Karazi needs to take a long look at himself and his country. It's our money that's proping his weak government up, so Congressmen Rohrabacher has every right to question what the money is being used for. As does every single CITIZEN of the US.
Maybe we shouldn't be there anymore.
Your logic s ridiculousness: "We can't be against the war because we have people fighting in the war and they might die if we say we're against the war that they are fighting."
First of all, I don't care very much about the troops, they weren't drafted, no one forced them to go fight, they signed up for it. They WANT to be over there fighting. Second of all, the sooner more people speak out against the war, the sooner the troops come home, the less of them have to die, and the less money we have to spend propping up Karzai's corrupt regime.
z you are an idiot.
zcarter...you're a moron. You don't care about the troops because they weren't drafted? That is the stupidest things i've heard in a while. You should be happy they volunteered to be over there so that members of your cowardly family don't need to get drafted. whether you like the war or not, the troops deserve our thanks.
I have to say you are a blumming idiot. It shows a lack of concern for you fellow Americans. Thank God those Soldier, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coastguardsmen joined of there own free will and accord. That saves you the need to get your prett little hands from getting dirty and sweaty. It also allows you to openly speak that CRAP out of that mouth of yours. Having spent 2 years over there and seeing the waste of tax payers dollers, I completely agree with a Condressman, no matter the party that we need to quit sending so much money to a very currpt country. We are repeating history, we should look back at recent history to see how it will turn out. But I will always support our Troops in the field, it meant alot to me when I was out in the desert living in a dusty god forsaken base. ZCarter, go ahead and "Talk your talk, but it doesnt mean a thing if you have never walked the walk"!!!!
Your don't care about our troops??? What are you, a lost 60's hippie or some Sh**??? Go away. You don't care about our troops then you don't value freedom. Go live in a 3rd world country where you belong you flammin freak.
Karzai is no more than a small-time thug. It's time for the U.S. to get out of Afghanistan. Whether we get out now or twenty years from now, the Taliban will stream over the borders and take over within weeks of our leaving. Stop sending our young men and women over their to die!
Sounds to me like Karzai is having a hissy fit. If it wasn't for the BILLIONS and BILLIONS of American taxpayer dollars and American lives being lost in Afghanistan, Karzai's head would be separated from his body in short order. This guy wouldn't last five minutes walking the streets of Kandhar unaccompanied by the assets provide by American taxpayers.
........We understand.............................WE dont like him either.....................
At least I know where Rep. Rohrabacher's left hand has NOT been.
That's funny
How do you know?
When Rep. Rohrabacher calls Karzai a scumbag, what do you want Karzai to do, open his ams and welcome him? Rohrabacher needs to learn how to work with people he doesn't like.
Karzai could extend his left hand of friendship
Until his government and his people can defend themselves and pay their own way, the US government still has the power to say who stays and who goes in and out of Afghanistan in my opinion. I see his mouth moving, but I hear the words coming from offstage..... whose doing the talking here?
Thankfully, much like Rohrabacher, your opinion doesn't mean squat. Ignorance on foreign matters is just that, ignorance.
Actually as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigation Subcomittee his opinion does count.
I suppose an MAIS is ignorance JW.... I just don't think a "President" who is completely dependent on our nation should open his mouth about a sitting congressman in the majority party....who is ignorant here. It's call Real Politic.
wow,, this whole situation has turned into the gudrion knot,,, I say hack it and be done with it,, or is the term "whack" these days? Afghanistan is the playground proxy war of India and Pakistan,, I dont think its in our intrest to spend a trillion bucks just to test our newest military toys,, The senator needs to go to Afghanastan,, weather he's welcome or not,,weather you agree with him or not,,, weather he gets killed for it,, or not
This man spoke the truth. Don't bad mouth my country and them ask to visit. He has propably never been to Afghanistan.
I'll take your tax payer money but I don't want any oversight.
Correct.
Dana Rohrabacher is just another republican chickenhawk. He evaded Vietnam War military service when he was eligible to fight in combat but now he's a big tough guy with foreign countries. Dana Rohrabacher is a sad old queen. You would think after he was filmed with his lover he'd admit it but instead freaked and married a former staffer.
"I'll take your tax payer money but I don't want any oversight." Wasn't that the Tea Bag Party's motto? Notice they are gone now, since the Koch Bros don't need them to sell Mitt any longer. Anyone still believe they were a "grassroots" movement instead of hired employees?
Exactly. Stop the handouts. if it wasn't oil, we would never be involved. it's about the Caspian line and always will be. Enough already. If we truley were energy independent, wars would cease! Protect our borders, get a grip on all the drug cartels and stop the influx of mexican gangs. That's where our troops should be...protecting our own borders and especially the poor farmers that live on the border having to worry about violence from the cartels on their own land.
Here we go, another egotiscal, hypocritcal member of my party trying to make some political gain from a very tense and complicated situation.
Rohrabacher is being a complete idiot. This is what happens when blind idealogy is put in power. They cause chaos, confusion and conflict with no concern or conviction.
When is Karzai going to follow Diem?
PERFECT!!
This congressman is and has always been an idiot. Having said that, Obama got Bin Laden, time to be out. Spend the $$$$ here.
As I said earlier, I don’t know anything about the congressman, but I do agree with him that we need to cut our ties with Karzai and minimize our footprint in that country. You are also right, we need to spend money building our infrastructure not theirs. We need to put our people back to work, not theirs. We need in invest in us not them.
Learn something about him then.
How about this fact: The 12-term Costa Mesa congressman–who in 1988 campaigned for office espousing the importance of limiting members of Congress to three terms as a way to thwart corruption. Still in office 9 years past the term he campaigned on.
Yep, Califonia should be cut loose from the rest of the U.S.
Maybe our Dear Leader and Ms. Clinton might consider telling Karzai about a little thing called free speech, instead of using this crisis for partisan political gain.
I suppose it never occurred to them that the proper reaction isn't to capitulate to tin-pot tyrants, it's to have stronger logic.
Stronger logic? From Rohrabacher? LOL! How much of your "stronger logic" was it when Rohrabacher blamed 9/11 on Clinton's b-job? rofl
why do people always try to insist that free speech means freedom from a response to that speech as well?
The guy spouted off and Karzai responded to it how he wanted to respond to it.
Karzai was a pizza delivery boy in Fremont California, before Dubya decided to make him the president of Afghanistan using American military power. He speaks for the American administration, not Afghan people. Couple of years from now when the American army leaves, he will be back in Fremont running the Pizza shop that he now owns.
Fine but nobody has the right to tell him how to make his pizzas.
Is it me or does Karzai look a lot like actor Ben Kingsley?
And Kingsley is nowhere to be found . . . Hmmmm . . .
Dana is calling a spade a spade...go figure; a politician that actually calls it like it is...
Yeah it's a shame he couldn't call his aide he brought with him everywhere a pedo. Jeffrey Ray Nielsen was Dana's "aide" that he brought from OC to DC, where his aide targeted 12-year-old boys for sex and Dana did nothing.
http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/just-say-no/
He should not be surprised that he is not well liked. Many in the US dont like him either.
Obama empowers this thug ... Must have sympathy for a fellow goverment thug .... Coming from and practicing Chicago strong arm politics ... Sad we all argue and debate ... While our leader only thinks of reelection and how he can explain his failures and broken campaign promises ... Smoke and mirrors !! And oh that's not my fault ...or I had no control .. or I knew nothing of that .... Words .... Words ....words ... And the facts are forgotten .
Obama was dealt the hand he has from the previous administration. The fact that he is working to get out of there is a move in the right direction.
Patriot act .... Bush ..... NDAA ...Obama .... He was given a bad hand ... Yet he has not done nothing but give illegal loans to special intrest ( green projects ) which have added to the debt .... Continued the stimulus packages .. put us in further debt ... Payed hefty bonus's to union bosses ... Further in debt ... Flip flopped on foreign policy ... Why Libya not Syria ??? and where has endorsing these Arab springs got America ??? The countries are in chaos ... The Muslim brotherhood is seizing power ... Who obama is friendly with .. who he claimed they would not seek power and were Muslim moderates ... As the Muslim brotherhood will not release power and seeks more in neighboring countries aling with ours ... Who wants to instill and practice sharia law .... No obama has not tried to correct the mistakes made before him he has done even worse .
Charles . . . unable to form complete sentence . . . bla bla . . . OCD . . . troll . . . .
Karzai is the thug I was mentioning.
Dana Rohrabacher is just another republican chickenhawk. He evaded Vietnam War military service when he was eligible to fight in combat but now he's a big tough guy with foreign countries. Dana Rohrabacher is a sad old queen. You would think after he was filmed with his lover he'd admit it but instead freaked and married a former staffer.
Who really cares about Afghanistan or for that matter any other Muslim country. They have made no contributions
To anything in the last 2000 years. They are all about some stupid religion and death to all non believers.
The sad part is that we will leave Afghanistan much like we did the first time we left (after the Soviet Union lost there). You see where that led us too. We need to be engaged to some extent, if only to prevent this from happening again. However, Karzai is not our mechanism for establishing a foothold in that country. We should be looking elsewhere to ensure that Afghanistan does not go back to harbouring terrorists.
Are you illiterate? Arab culture gave the West most of what it knew of mathematics, science, and philosophy, saving us from the Dark Ages. Only when Western nations sought colonial control over the Middle East did its genius decline. For God's sake, algebra is an Arabic word!
Patrick, Yes Arab culture gave us Algebra. The Greeks gave us geometry. Since came from all over (china, Greece, the Persians, and yes the Arabs). I don’t think that the Arabs had all that much to do with ending the Dark Ages, which was mostly due to the renaissance. The Middle East started to decline shortly after Mohammad invaded Europe. While that is a simplified view of a complicated period in history, its less simplified and more accurate than the one you are painting. But you are right that Algebra is an Arabic word and their culture gave us much from the past.
2 bombs + 2 bombs = 4 bombs.
Karzai is a thug; Afghanistan is Obama's Viet Nam; the moment our troops leave; the Taliban and the war lords will be right back at "business as usual"...a good Taliban is a dead Taliban...these people are barbaric and don't deserve for us to spill one more drop of blood; they have no honor, no shame; they are thugs.
Rohrabacher is 100% correct: this is our money and lives that we are sacrificing in this dreadful country and dreadful leader....
remember Afghan people didn't ask united states to invade their country in the first, so i say shut up and spend the money.is a choice U. S made.
The sign said trespassers will be shot on site. Can't you read the sign, America?
5 man electrical band...great song. Yes we are throwing good money (and lives) out for bad.
We read just fine. In fact, the sign is in English because WE WROTE IT.
The guys who wrote the previous sign (the Taliban), are all dead. Of course, their children hate us worse than their fathers ever did, which could be a problem for us some day, since we chose to intentionally let those future terrorists live. We should have killed 'em all and thereby achieved peace in this area of the world.
"We should have killed 'em all and thereby achieved peace in this area of the world." That would, of course, be the "Christian" thing to do. I'm sure you'd be universally admired for genociding a bunch of women and children; heck, you'd get to sit next to Osama in Hades.
I have to say, I don't know anything about Rohrabacher, and I'm not a Republican by any stretch, but I have to agree with him on one point – Karzai is corrupt and the sooner we get out of Afghanistan the better. Karzai’s family is milking foreign interests for everything they can get. Afghanistan will return to what it was once we leave and there is nothing we can do about it. Afghanistan has been this way for over a thousand years. Karzai knows that when we leave, his family will have to leave as well. The people of Afghanistan don’t want him there, but we are protecting him.
Very true. He won't let in the congressman, but he will let the Taliban in to run the schools in Afghanistan? They won't change over there. It may take a few years, but it will go back to the way it was before we started going after OBL.
take our troops and money and run f**** those b holes
i agree - we need to get out now - if they screw with us again - turn it into a sheet of glass - and get rid of the poppies