Debating Karzai

Hamid Karzai finally showed up for a presidential debate in Afghanistan yesterday -- after canceling his scheduled appearance at last month's debate -- and it didn't go too well for him.

The debate on state-run television saw a blistering performance by Ramazan Bashardost, a populist anti-corruption campaigner and MP who used his airtime to attack Karzai's record and the rampant graft in the current government, which he said was the main cause of insecurity.

[...] Bashardost attacked Karzai's claim that he had brought national unity to Afghanistan, saying the representatives of the country's various ethnic groups which Karzai appointed to his cabinet were warlords who had failed to deliver basic public services.

Interestingly, Abdullah Abdullah, the former foreign minister who's currently polling in second place, didn't participate in the debate.

The Guardian also reported that Afghanistan's intelligence chief has struck deals with several Taliban commanders who have pledged not to attack voters or polling stations (in exchange for cash, of course). But the report says those commanders will "disobey the Taliban leadership" by doing so -- which means attacks are still likely this week.