Images of President Karzai as he greets members of the Afghan National Police and views training during a visit to a Central Training Center. Karzai also gathers for a photograph with various government ministers at the CTC in Kabul, Afghanistan. 23/01/2010.
Afghan President Hami Karzai, far left, listens as an Afghan National Police instructor explains about crime scene investigation techniques.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, center, Afghan Minister of Defense H.E. Abdul Rahim Wardak, to Karzai's front right, Afghan Minister of the Interior H.E. Mohammad Hanif Atmar, to President Karzai's right, second row, International Security Assistance Force Commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal, to President Karzai's left, gather for a group photo during President Karzai's visit.
President Karzai also greeted members of the Afghan National Police and viewed training during a visit to the CTC.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai was born in the province of Karz, Afghanistan on 24 December, 1957 to the Monarch linage of the Sadozai, a sub-tribe to the Royal Popelzai tribe led by the King Ahmed Shah Durrani. Karzai became the nation’s 12th President in 2004 – inaugurated 2 days before this birthday on 22 December.
Karzai spent the early years of the Soviet invasion completing his post-graduate degree in Poltical Scince in India after which he returned to work as a fund-raiser for the Mujahidden fighters in Afghanistan, during the 1980’s he was a key contact for the CIA organizing secret funding from the U.S to Pakistan.
He initially supported the Taliban regime mainly due to their ability to curtail crime and for ending a vicious civil war that followed the Soviet defeat. This changed on the morning of 14 July, 1999 when his father Ahmad Ahad Karzai was assassinated, allegedly by the Taliban.
In September 2001 Karzai was quoted by the BBC as saying “These Arabs, together with their foreign supporters and the Taliban, destroyed miles and miles of homes and orchards and vineyards... We want them out."
Photo by Senior Airman Ybarbo
