Editing Hamid Karzai (section)

==Controversies==
In August 2011, Karzai pardoned dozens of children, youngest of who was 8 years old, who were caught attempting suicide bombing. In February 2012, two boys of who were pardoned were rearrested in [[Kandahar Province]] along with three adult militant suspects, and that they told intelligence officers they had been recruited for suicide missions.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/02/afghanistan-would-be-child-bombers-arrested-again.html |title=Months after pardon, would-be Afghan child bombers arrested again |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=13 February 2012 |access-date=22 March 2014 |archive-date=6 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140506081454/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/02/afghanistan-would-be-child-bombers-arrested-again.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Karzai has been accused of nepotism, corruption, electoral fraud, and being involved with his late half brother [[Ahmed Wali Karzai]] in the drug trade.{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}}

In 2009, Karzai antagonized the women's movement and NATO leaders by signing a draconian [[Shia Personal Status Law]] seen as legalizing [[marital rape]] within Afghanistan's minority [[Shia Islam|Shia Muslim]] community.<ref>Armstrong, Sally. (2014). Uprising: A New Age is Dawning for Every Mother's Daughter. (pp. 176-177). NY, NY: St. Martin's Press.</ref>

===Electoral fraud===
Under Karzai's administration, electoral fraud was so apparent that Afghanistan's status as a democratic state came into question.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6c9ef53e-97ee-11de-8d3d-00144feabdc0.html |title=/ Comment / Opinion – Fraud endangers Afghan democracy |work=Financial Times |date=2 September 2009 |access-date=30 August 2011 |archive-date=13 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813210053/https://www.ft.com/content/6c9ef53e-97ee-11de-8d3d-00144feabdc0 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11353711 |title=BBC News – Fraud and corruption fears in Afghanistan elections |publisher=BBC |date=17 September 2010 |access-date=30 August 2011 |archive-date=7 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207224854/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11353711 |url-status=live }}</ref> Furthermore, a special court set up personally by Karzai in defiance of constitutional norms sought to reinstate dozens of candidates who were removed for fraud in the 2010 parliamentary elections by the Independent Electoral Commission.<ref>Rod Norland (23 June 2011). [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/world/asia/24kabul.html Afghan Court Ruling Seeks to Alter Election Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160723110657/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/world/asia/24kabul.html |date=23 July 2016 }}, ''The New York Times''.</ref>

===Financial ties with CIA and the government of Iran===
On 28 April 2013, ''[[The New York Times]]'' revealed that from December 2002 up to the publication date, Karzai's presidential office was funded with "tens of millions of dollars" of black cash from the [[CIA]] in order to buy influence within the [[Politics of Afghanistan|Afghan government]]. The article stated that "the cash that does not appear to be subject to the oversight and restrictions." An unnamed American official was quoted by ''The New York Times'' as stating that "The biggest source of corruption in Afghanistan was the United States."<ref name="nytimes1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/world/asia/cia-delivers-cash-to-afghan-leaders-office.html|title=With Bags of Cash, C.I.A. Seeks Influence in Afghanistan|author=Matthew Rosenberg|newspaper=The New York Times|date=28 April 2013|access-date=29 April 2013|archive-date=28 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428232309/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/world/asia/cia-delivers-cash-to-afghan-leaders-office.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 17 June 2013, Senator [[Bob Corker]] put a hold on $75 million intended for electoral programs in Afghanistan after his inquiries of 2 May 14 May and 13 June to the [[Obama Administration]] regarding the CIA "ghost money" remained unanswered.<ref name="Corker">''Senator puts hold on some Afghan aid over Karzai "ghost money"'', [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-congress-idUSBRE95G11F20130617] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016132054/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/17/us-usa-afghanistan-congress-idUSBRE95G11F20130617|date=16 October 2015}}, Reuters, 17 June 2013</ref>

Karzai also admitted that his office received millions of dollars in cash from the Iranian government.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shalizi |first=Hamid |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-karzai-idUSTRE69O27Z20101025 |title=Karzai says his office gets bags of money from Iran |work=Reuters |date=25 October 2010 |access-date=22 March 2014 |archive-date=22 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322061429/http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/10/25/us-afghanistan-karzai-idUSTRE69O27Z20101025 |url-status=live }}</ref> Karzai stated that the money was given as gifts and intended for renovating his Presidential Palace in Kabul. "This is transparent. This is something that I've even discussed while I was at Camp David with President Bush."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/karzai-confirms-iran-provides-his-office-with-cash-1.566949 |title=Karzai confirms Iran provides his office with cash |publisher=Ctvnews.ca |date=25 October 2010 |access-date=22 March 2014 |archive-date=22 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322051155/http://www.ctvnews.ca/karzai-confirms-iran-provides-his-office-with-cash-1.566949 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Corruption===
{{main|Corruption in Afghanistan}}
According to ''The New York Times'', many members of the Karzai family have mixed their personal interests with that of the state, and become hugely influential and wealthy by murky means.<ref>{{cite news |last=Risen |first=James |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/world/asia/06karzai.html |title=Karzai's Kin Use Ties to Gain Power in Afghanistan |location=Afghanistan |work=The New York Times |date=5 October 2010 |access-date=30 August 2011 |archive-date=27 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027022925/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/world/asia/06karzai.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2012 Afghanistan was tied with Somalia and North Korea at the bottom of [[Transparency International]]'s [[Corruption Perception Index]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.transparency.org/cpi2012 |title=Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index 2012 |date=6 December 2012 |publisher=Transparency.org |access-date=22 March 2014 |archive-date=20 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320044835/http://www.transparency.org/cpi2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> and it ranked 172/175 in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.transparency.org/country#AFG |title=2014 Corruption Perception Index |access-date=23 March 2015 |archive-date=24 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524182350/https://www.transparency.org/country#AFG |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Mahmoud Karzai]], the brother of President Karzai, was implicated in the 2010 [[Kabul Bank]] crisis. Mahmud Karzai was the 3rd largest shareholder in the bank with a 7% stake. Kabul Bank incurred huge losses on its investments in villas in [[Palm Jumeirah]] in [[Dubai]]. The real estate investments were registered in the name of Kabul Bank chairman, Sherkhan Farnood. Mahmud Karzai bought one such villa from Farnood for 7 million [[dirham]]s using money borrowed from Kabul Bank and in a matter of months sold it for 10.4 million dirhams.<ref name="wp-kabul-bank">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/07/AR2010090706645.html|title=Karzai's brother financed Dubai property purchases through embattled Kabul Bank|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=8 September 2010|access-date=22 June 2012|first=Andrew|last=Higgins|archive-date=30 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730225239/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/07/AR2010090706645.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Mahmud Karzai's purchase of the 7% stake in Kabul Bank was also financed entirely through money lent by Kabul Bank with the shares as collateral.<ref name="wp-kabul-bank"/>

Karzai has admitted that there is widespread corruption in Afghanistan, but has blamed the problem largely on the way contracts are awarded by the international community, and said that the "perception of corruption" is a deliberate attempt to weaken the Afghan government.<ref>{{cite news |last=Abawi |first=Atia |url=http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/06/15717342-exclusive-us-nato-behind-insecurity-in-afghanistan-karzai-says |title=EXCLUSIVE: US, NATO behind 'insecurity' in Afghanistan, Karzai says – World News |publisher=[[NBC News]] |date=6 December 2012 |access-date=22 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322044217/http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/06/15717342-exclusive-us-nato-behind-insecurity-in-afghanistan-karzai-says |archive-date=22 March 2014  }}</ref>{{sfn|Partlow|2016|page=203}}

===Unocal connection===
There has been much debate over Karzai's alleged consultant work with [[Unocal]] (Union Oil Company of California since acquired by [[Chevron Corporation|Chevron]] in 2005). In 2002, when Karzai became the subject of heavy media coverage as one of the front runners to lead Afghanistan, it was reported that he was a former consultant for them.<ref name="csmonitor">{{cite web|date=10 June 2002|url = http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0610/p01s03e-wosc.html|title = Afghan power brokers |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]| access-date =11 December 2007|author1=Ilene R. Prusher |author2=Scott Baldauf |author3=Edward Girardet |quote=Karzai is a former employee of US oil company Unocal&nbsp;... bidding for the lucrative contract to build an oil pipeline from Uzbekistan through Afghanistan |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070629145511/http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0610/p01s03e-wosc.html |archive-date = 29 June 2007}}</ref><ref name="atimes">{{cite web|year = 2009|url = http://www.atimes.com/c-asia/DA29Ag02.html|title = Mr Karzai goes to Washington|website= [[Asia Times Online]]|access-date = 12 September 2009|last = Marc Erikson|quote = And one further thing both men have in common is that in 1996/97 they advised American oil company Unocal on the US$2&nbsp;billion project of a Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline.|archive-date = 8 November 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091108124230/http://www.atimes.com/c-asia/DA29Ag02.html|url-status = unfit}}</ref> Spokesmen for both Unocal and Karzai have denied any such relationship, although Unocal could not speak for all companies involved in the consortium.<ref name="globalsecurity"/> The original claim that Karzai worked for Unocal originates from a 6 December 2001 issue of the French newspaper ''[[Le Monde]]'',<ref name="globalsecurity">{{cite web |year=2007 |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/afghanistan/karzai.htm |title=Hamid Karzai |publisher=globalsecurity |access-date=11 December 2007 |quote=The claim appears to have originated in the 9 December 2001 issue of the French newspaper Le Monde. Some have suggested that Karzai was confused with U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad. |archive-date=11 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211203925/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/afghanistan/karzai.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> Barry Lane UNOCAL's manager for public relations states in an interview on the website Emperor's Clothes that, "He was never a consultant, never an employee. We've exhaustively searched through all our records."<ref name="emperors-clothes">{{cite web |date=9 July 2002 |url=http://emperors-clothes.com/interviews/lane.htm|title=Emperor's clothes interviews Unocal Oil |publisher=Emperor's Clothes |access-date=12 September 2009 |last=[[Jared Israel]] interviewing Barry Lane |quote=Jared Israel: The other thing that is being asserted everywhere is that Hamid Karzai, the current head of the Afghan 'government' once worked for you.<br />Barry Lane: Yeah. Yeah, well that's probably one of the great urban legends. He never worked for us.<br />Jared Israel: He didn't work for somebody else who worked for you?<br />Barry Lane: No. No, not him. He was never a consultant, never an employee. We've exhaustively searched through all our records to try and find out where the hell that came from.|archive-date=10 March 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310213712/http://emperors-clothes.com/interviews/lane.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="usembassy.gov">{{cite web|year=2009 |url=http://cambodia.usembassy.gov/definition.html |title=Misinformation |work=[[USA.gov]] |publisher=[[United States Department of State]] |access-date=12 September 2009 |quote=all the company's records made it clear that Mr. Karzai was "never a consultant, never an employee" of Unocal. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211062904/http://cambodia.usembassy.gov/definition.html |archive-date=11 February 2007 }}</ref> Lane however did say that [[Zalmay Khalilzad]], the former [[United States Ambassador to the United Nations]], was a Unocal consultant in the mid-1990s.<ref name="seattletimes">{{Cite news|date=5 July 2004 |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001972076_fahrenheit05.html |title=Analyzing 'Fahrenheit 9/11': It's accurate&nbsp;— to a degree |newspaper=The Seattle Times |first1=Sumana |last1=Chatterjee |first2=David |last2=Goldstein |name-list-style=amp |access-date=12 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719034130/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001972076_fahrenheit05.html |archive-date=19 July 2008 }}</ref>

===Communication with Taliban===
In October 2013, Karzai's administration and the Afghan Intelligence agency were found to be communicating with the Pakistani Taliban about the shifting of power that was expected to occur if the U.S. forces withdrew in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |author=Web Desk |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/624306/us-catches-afghan-govt-red-handed-in-plotting-with-pakistani-taliban-report/ |title=US catches Afghan govt 'red handed' in plotting with Pakistani Taliban: Report |newspaper=The Express Tribune |date=29 October 2013 |access-date=22 March 2014 |archive-date=22 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222040323/http://tribune.com.pk/story/624306/us-catches-afghan-govt-red-handed-in-plotting-with-pakistani-taliban-report/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Karzai himself was in London at the time of the discovery, to participate in talks with Pakistan and the U.S. on the possible location of Taliban leader Mullah Baradar. At the time, it was unknown if Karzai was directly involved or even knew of such communications.

In May 2021, Karzai spoke with German newspaper ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', where he expressed his sympathy with the Taliban, criticized the role of the United States in Afghanistan and praised the role of the [[European Union]], at the same time, saying that the future of Afghanistan relies heavily on neighboring Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Koelbl |first1=Susanne |title="We Afghans Are Just Being Used Against Each Other" |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/former-afghanistan-president-hamid-karzai-we-afghans-are-just-being-used-against-each-other-a-81412b96-c7e5-4287-b423-fbc2b600f317 |access-date=5 June 2021 |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602122101/https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/former-afghanistan-president-hamid-karzai-we-afghans-are-just-being-used-against-each-other-a-81412b96-c7e5-4287-b423-fbc2b600f317 |url-status=live }}</ref> He also considered the Taliban "victims of foreign forces" and said that Afghans were being used to be "each against the other". In November 2021, he told [[Yalda Hakim]] of ''[[BBC News]]'' that he considered the Taliban as "brothers".<ref>{{Cite news|title=Ex-Afghan president: The Taliban are my brothers|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-59505688|access-date=2 December 2021}}</ref>

===View on ISIS in Afghanistan===
Karzai, during an interview with Voice of America in April 2017, claimed that [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province|ISIS]] in Afghanistan is a tool for the United States. He further claimed that he does not differentiate at all between ISIS and the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newsweek.com/hamid-karzai-us-afghanistan-isis-taliban-russia-587031|title=War in Afghanistan: Former President Hamid Karzai Claim There Is No Difference Between ISIS And America|access-date=20 April 2017|magazine=[[Newsweek]]|author=Mirren Gidda|archive-date=21 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421105418/http://www.newsweek.com/hamid-karzai-us-afghanistan-isis-taliban-russia-587031|url-status=live}}</ref> During an interview with Fox News a few weeks later, Karzai claimed that ISIS in Afghanistan is a product of the United States. He claimed that he routinely received reports regarding unmarked helicopters dropping supplies to support the terror faction. He asked for an explanation from the United States regarding the unmarked helicopter flights. He also claimed that the United States had made Afghanistan a testing ground for its weapons.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-aids-isis-says-afghanistans-former-president|title=US aids ISIS, says Afghanistan's former president|access-date=4 May 2017|publisher=Fox News|author=Hollie Mckay|archive-date=4 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104072828/https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-aids-isis-says-afghanistans-former-president|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2017 during an interview with Al Jazeera, Karzai again criticized the United States. He accused the United States of working with ISIS in Afghanistan. Moreover, he said that the United States government had allowed ISIS to flourish in Afghanistan and that it had used ISIS as an excuse to drop the [[GBU-43]] (Mother of all Bombs) in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/hamid-karzai-colluded-isil-afghanistan-171110191715544.html|title=Hamid Karzai: US colluded with ISIL in Afghanistan|access-date=11 November 2017|publisher=Al Jazeera|archive-date=17 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317035713/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/hamid-karzai-colluded-isil-afghanistan-171110191715544.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2017/nov/11/us-colluded-with-is-in-afghanistan-former-president-hamid-karzai-1698707.html|title=US colluded with IS in Afghanistan: Former president Hamid Karzai|access-date=11 November 2017|newspaper=New Indian Express|archive-date=4 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104021550/http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2017/nov/11/us-colluded-with-is-in-afghanistan-former-president-hamid-karzai-1698707.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Karzai also accused Pakistan of supporting ISIS during an interview with [[Asian News International|ANI]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=No doubt on Pakistan's role in supporting ISIS: Hamid Karzai - ANI News|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVM1FHzamSg&feature=youtu.be|access-date=28 August 2020|website=YouTube|archive-date=1 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201074742/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVM1FHzamSg&feature=youtu.be|url-status=live}}</ref>