From the Times Online:Lord Ashdown’s appointment as the UN special envoy in Afghanistan has been blocked by President Karzai after he met a series of Western leaders in Davos, diplomats said last night.
President Karzai objected to the former Liberal Democrat leader after Lord Ashdown, a former Marine who headed international efforts in Bosnia, insisted on far-reaching powers.
The Afghan leader made clear his intention to block Lord Ashdown at meetings with Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, and David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader, during the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort, one source said.
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My Comment: I am curious if this is only a U.K. -- Afghanistan crisis, or something that also involves other allies. My reading of the situation is that there are clear cultural differences on handling the crisis in this area. Afghans have their way, the west their own way.