Afghan Leader Hamid Karzai: “He’s On His Meds, He’s Off His Meds”
“Obama’s Wars,” by journalist Bob Woodward has lots of interesting tidbits.…..and which of his acclaimed works doesn’t have such parts that everyone talks about?
Mr. Woodward’s book says Mr. Karzai has been diagnosed with manic depression. It quotes the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, as saying: “He’s on his meds, he’s off his meds.”
In private conversations, Kabul-based Western diplomats have voiced concerns about the state of Mr. Karzai’s mind since the country’s controversial presidential election last year. Mr. Karzai viewed U.S. pressure for a runoff and its endorsement of complaints about fraud in the vote as a personal offense, if not a ploy to get rid of him.
Since then, Mr. Karzai made several erratic statements, including one in which he threatened to join the Taliban. In conversations with some European diplomats, Mr. Karzai has even expressed a fear that the U.S. may try to assassinate him, according to people familiar with these discussions.
Queried about the allegations on Mr. Karzai’s mental state, Mr. Karzai’s chief spokesman, Waheed Omar, said in a statement: “This is a baseless, inflammatory comment that has its roots in a defaming propaganda campaign against President Karzai’s personal integrity, leadership and his stances on matters of Afghan national interests. The president is safe and sound. I can confirm that he takes no medication.”
Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the American Embassy in Kabul, declined to comment on Mr. Eikenberry’s characterization of the Afghan leader.
