Renegade Afghan Overruns Provincial Capital

[ze_dscherman]

HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A renegade commander has taken control of most of a remote Afghan provincial capital after clashes in which 18 people were killed or wounded and the governor was forced to flee, combatants said on Friday.

The upheaval in the central province of Ghor presents a fresh crisis for President Hamid Karzai and his efforts to impose his authority in the provinces by disarming regional militias seen as a threat to September elections.

It comes just as he was expected back from an overseas trip that included a visit to Washington in which he and President Bush gave what many analysts saw a overly rosy assessment of Afghanistan's progress since U.S.-led forces overthrew the Taliban in late 2001.

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Added on edit: It is the third time in less than three months that a provincial governor appointed by Karzai has been forced to flee, following similar unrest over his disarmament plans in the northern province of Faryab in April.

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http://news.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5454152

[pfitz59]

1. Karzai is tto busy begging Congress for money....

and holding hands with Boy George!

[LittleApple81]

2. Bush* said that Afghanistan is going swimmingly...or is it drowningly? n/t