There is a strong case for replacing Asadullah Khalid as governor of Afghanistan's Kandahar province. But Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister was not the person to make it. In doing so yesterday during a visit to Kandahar, Maxime Bernier did no favour to Afghan President Hamid Karzai as he attempts to establish control over his country. The result of Mr. Bernier's clumsy intervention may be to ensure that Mr. Khalid remains on the job longer than he otherwise would have.
It is understandable why Mr. Bernier felt inclined to speak out, telling reporters that "there's a question of maybe having a new governor" and that Mr. Karzai will soon have to make a "decision" about whether he has "the right person in the right place at the right time." It is alleged not only that human rights abuses have occurred in secret prisons under Mr. Khalid's watch, but that he himself has been personally involved in the torture of prisoners. Such allegations fuel mistrust of Mr. Karzai's fragile government. And amid domestic concerns over the treatment of detainees, Mr. Khalid's continuing presence can only harm the federal government's effort to build support for the extension of Canada's Afghanistan mission.
For Mr. Karzai, however, a bigger problem than the presence of Mr. Khalid is the perception among some Afghans that he is running a puppet regime. The sense that his government is effectively controlled by the United States and other NATO powers, however exaggerated, undermines him in power struggles with the Taliban and with warlords who still control large swaths of the country. This concern may have fuelled his rejection of the eminently qualified Paddy Ashdown as the United Nations' special envoy to Afghanistan. So it is unlikely that he will respond favourably to Mr. Bernier's intervention; if anything, it may discourage him from replacing Mr. Khalid if he had been considering doing so.
Perhaps realizing this, Mr. Bernier hastily issued a clarification yesterday. "Afghanistan is a sovereign state that makes its own decisions about government appointments," he said in a statement. "I can assure you that Canada fully respects this and is not calling for any changes to the Afghan government."
On his next visit, Mr. Bernier will need to take pains to demonstrate that respect. It is appropriate to raise concerns with Mr. Karzai and other Afghan leaders in private. But the more he attempts to exert his influence publicly, the less influence Canada will ultimately have.
