Thursday, November 4, 2004

Karzai promises to destroy economy At Salon: Hamid Karzai pledged Thursday to use his five-year term as Afghanistan's first elected president to crack down on warlords and the country's booming drug economy. Hey, Hamid. What other economy do you have? Maybe you should think about developing a legal economy before you destroy the other one? Karzai has said smashing Afghanistan's opium and heroin smugglers will be his top priority and the key to reining in warlords resisting the feeble authority of the central government. The resources of the entire United States can't stop the opium and heroin smugglers, and Karzai thinks he has a chance? And the only way he could control it is by taking it over. Just to give some perspective, neighboring Tajikistan doesn't produce any opium or heroin -- it's just a route for trafficking -- yet the drug trade there is 10 times as big as the national budget. I predict one of three outcomes in the next five years. Karzai gives up on his promise. Karzai doesn't last in office 5 years. Karzai ends up being the head drug trafficker. Any bets? 5:55:52 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []

Ashcroft to leave Having parlayed his election loss to a dead man into a top federal job and a national attack on personal liberty, Attorney General Ashcroft is now tired and is likely to step down. Names that have been floated in recent weeks as a possible replacement include Ashcroft's former deputy, Larry Thompson, who would become the first black attorney general. Others include Marc Racicot, who was Bush's campaign manager, and White House general counsel Alberto Gonzales, who would give Bush a notable Hispanic appointment. Also sometimes mentioned is former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, but his spokeswoman said he's not interested. "Rudy Giuliani is not taking John Ashcroft's job," Sunny Mindel said. No, Giuliani is too busy thinking about 2008. 5:38:58 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []