Intrepid reporter Morrison Luke Smith here. Blogging the news, out of a simple desire to write, and a desire to sharpen my writing.
Today numerous sites reported the revelation that millions of dollars “ghost money” is being funneled by the US CIA and the British MI6 intelligence agencies to Hamid Karzai to gain access. I’d call that some deep pocked lobbying. The Guardian covers it well HERE.
The risk is blowback. Karzai is of dubious popularity, and his greatest strength from the perspective of the west is that he is “our guy.” We’ve been down this path before, in every country we’ve been involved with dating back to the 30’s and the era of the Banana Republics.
Once we engage in these nations, we’re engaged in nation building, and engaged in protecting our national interests. The intended goal is to develop stability, and promote American interests abroad.
The danger is that we create a leader like Chiang Kai-Shek who’s grip on power leads to further resistance, and long term problems. The pattern has been repeated over and over, in Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and through out Latin America.
The goal to further our own interests leads to unintended consequences. Do we work to reform our plans, or do we become isolationist. It is impossible that our empire, military or economic cover the world. How do we then protect our national, and economic goals, while protecting ourselves from later blowback?
I’m looking for a model of success here: And one that lasted more than 20 years.
