What we're protecting in Afghanistan

Hamid Karzai, whose illegitimate election last year should have been the last straw for NATO, has thrown a major hissy fit over the very modest pressures that we've been putting on him to behave himself:

Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened over the weekend to quit the political process and join the Taliban if he continued to come under outside pressure to reform, several members of parliament said Monday.

Mr. Karzai made the unusual statement at a closed-door meeting on Saturday with selected lawmakers – just days after kicking up a diplomatic controversy with remarks alleging foreigners were behind fraud in last year's disputed elections.

From the Globe. So let's get this straight. We're propping up an illegitimate leader, risking our own troops' lives, killing civilians, and turning over prisoners to authorities who torture them, and now this arsehole threatens to join the Taliban?? And we're doing this for what exactly? To uphold democracy? See Karzai's election above. To protect the rights of women? A laudable goal, but maybe we should be working on this at home first. The pipeline? Probably a major reason. To save face? Probably another major reason. But even if we accept these last two goals as legitimate, we can only save face, or build the pipeline, if we can win the war. My opinion? We can't. The USSR was a huge country, with a lot fewer supply line problems than NATO (thanks to being right next door to them), and yet they lost. We will too, mark my words.

ETA: The coup in Kyrgyzstan (h/t Blaque) may help to speed things along, by depriving NATO of the use of a crucial air base.

The coup in Honduras

The overthrow of President Manuel Zelaya has flown under the radar, thanks to the death of Michael Jackson. Despite the fact that Obama says he opposes the coup, there are more than a few folks who think this might be the work of the Yanks. With the miracle of Babelfish, it seems clear that this blogger believes the timing is not coincidental; she believes that the death of Jackson provides a convenient smokescreen, and in this babble thread it is pointed out that the coup was the work of a graduate of the infamous School of the Americas (now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation). Plenty more commentary here.

Another plot against Chavez

Surprise surprise:

President Hugo Chavez denounced on Wednesday evening a coup and assassination plot against the Venezuelan leader in a TV program. He announced that some of the people involved in the conspiracy were already arrested.

The Venezuelan president said the new plot was another attempt by the United States against the countries of the region, mentioning Bolivia as another victim of Washington’s interfering policy.

A video broadcast by the TV program, La Hojilla, reveals the organization of a coup and assassination plan against President Chavez by retired and active military officials.

The video features a telephone conversation between Brigadier General Wilfredo Barroso, Vice Admiral Carlos Alberto Millan and Major General Eduardo Baez, reported Telesur’s website. They talk about seizing the Miraflores Presidential Palace and aim all their efforts against Chavez. “If he (Chavez) is in Miraflores will strike there,” said the source.

From here, via M. Spector at babble. No wonder Venezuela has expelled the US ambassador.