Actually, a better headline would be ‘Karzai plays leader, pretends to confront the United States.’ He was unhappy his master’s attacks have killed so many civilians. In one bombing spree this week, an estimated 147 civilians from two nearby villages lost their lives. Pakistan is following suit with civilian-terrorizing campaigns on its own territory.

Karzai is demanding a halt to American air strikes. Nod and wink.

He announced this at a meeting Wednesday in Washington with his overlord.

In most countries, a leader would never hold a friendly summit with the leader of the country that just killed so many of his civilians. The Afghan puppet version is an empty demand, followed by President Obama’s “sorrow.” A real leader would have left in protest and done something in response.

That this Pinocchio-leader won’t really take any moves against his Geppetto; so he deceives with false demands.

What a charade. It only shows what a fiction the American-installed government of Afghanistan is. Even if the Taliban are routed, which they won’t be, this government will likely never prevail. It has already been corrupted by association with a deadly invasion, the institutionalization of warlordism, and re-emergence of a narco-economy. It is an embryonic failed state even with American success.

At the meeting Wednesday in Washington between Obama, Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, they further solidified their commitment to fighting extremists in their respective territories. President Obama won their approval for stepped up efforts by warning that Congress wants to see more bang for the buck in terms of US aid.

Immediately, Pakistan launched a domestic bombing campaign in its famously ungoverned provinces, the beginning of a war of survival. Pakistani jets hit a Taliban-controlled town and bombed fighters. This sent hundreds of thousands of civilians fleeing in terror. Those who could not escape begged for a pause in the bombing to escape.

The total number of preexisting refugees is half a million people. They left the Swat Valley and nearby districts already. After this, according to the UN, the total number of displaced due to Pakistan’s internal offensive will approach 1 million. Wow, sounds like Darfuran numbers. In the context of full-fledged war, the government will become more vicious and increasingly punish civilians who harbor the fighters.

Civilians have already paid significantly in previous government attacks against this part of Pakistan. That surely only helps the opposition. But it makes Congress happy. They like to see the war of occupation next door spill into a civil war next door because it makes the American agenda seem valid. The problems are so structural — the non-governability of that part of Pakistan, the prominance of Taliban-like orientations among the populace there and in Afghanistan — they are unlikely to go away.

Looks like our progressive President will be presiding over a resign of terror in AfPak.

Update: Don’t believe the hype about the Talibanization of Pakistan.

Related posts:

1. Afghanistan Needs a Karl Rove: The Plan to Bushize Karzai
2. Obama Afghan Strategy: Send in Waldo
3. The Pakistan Bhutto Party
4. Breaking News: Pakistan’s Bhutto Assassinated
5. America’s Other Imperial Project: My Appeasement Manifesto