SINCE he has built himself a home in the grounds of the presidential palace in Kabul where he intends living after he leaves office, it remains to be seen what influence Hamid Karzai will wield over Afghanistan after today’s election for a new president. Hopefully it will not be much. The capricious Mr Karzai has, especially in recent times, shown himself an unreliable ally for the US-led coalition forces, including Australia’s, that have, at vast cost, kept the Taliban at bay. His recalcitrance, especially over the vital Bilateral Security Agreement — keeping some coalition soldiers in the country after the end of the year — underlines the need for political change in Kabul.
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