I am going to do something I swore I would never do: quote Thomas Friedman favorably. Feel free to heap abuse on my head.
All of us have watched the unedifying spectacle of Karzai delivering an anti-American rant, and then, when called on it by Hillary Clinton, saying that he was misinterpreted and only criticizing Western media. This is the man to whom Obama has mortgaged his presidency. I have already, long since, said what I think about that decision.
Anyway, a propos something else, Friedman said [I paraphrase], With regard to leaders in the Middle East, pay no attention to what they say to you in English. All that matters is what they will say to their own people in their own language.
Give the twerp his due. When he is right, he is right. Karzai said those things to Afghans in their language. What he says to Clinton or Obama in English is irrelevant. I do hope, for once, that the White House is listening to Friedman.
