A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Galbraith Out as UN No. 2 in Afghanistan

The United Nations has fired Peter Galbraith for accusing his superior of covering up fraud in the Afghan elections. Galbraith is not likely to find himself out on the street (I suspect Richard Holbrooke can find a place for him again), but it's reassuring to see an American diplomat in the UN willing to call BS when it's necessary. The Afghan elections are really becoming a major embarrassment.

But, on the day when Obama was holding his big Afghanistan brain trust sessions, it's actually refreshing to see someone willing to resign in protest/force his own dismissal by saying the Emperor has no clothes. Afghanistan is enormously important and the Taliban are pretty appalling, but we don't exactly have a great alternative in place just yet.

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