Afghanistan, in Today's News 03.06.10

Afghanistan.  Another triumph in Marjah!! Today's Wall Street Journal reports that the new Marjah administrator chosen by the Afghan government likely spent four years in a German prison for assault (beating his stepson).

"Behind closed doors, Western officials have been pressing Afghan officials to have [the administrator] removed from his post..."

And so, having conquered a rural, deserted village, the 'allies' can't even get the Afghan government to play along and appoint someone with standing. President Karzai seems to care little about the progress of the Marjah campaign.

Post Script, 03.09.10: The US and the 'allies' have backed off from efforts to have the administrator removed. Evidently, there was no one better to put in the post and President Karzai stuck to his position. And so, yet another embarassment for the 'allies', as their much ballyhooed Marjah campaign ends up putting a thug in power.