Hamid Karzai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hamid Karzai
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حامد کرزی
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Karzai in 2012
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| 7th President of Afghanistan | |
| In office 13 July 2002 – 29 September 2014 |
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| Vice President |
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| Preceded by | Burhanuddin Rabbani |
| Succeeded by | Ashraf Ghani |
| Chairman of the Afghan Interim Administration | |
| In office 22 December 2001 – 13 July 2002 |
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| Vice Chairman |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 December 1957 Karz, Kingdom of Afghanistan |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse |
Zeenat Karzai
(m. 1999) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent |
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| Alma mater | Himachal Pradesh University |
| Military service | |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan
United States invasion of Afghanistan
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Hamid Karzai (born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman. He served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014. He was the first elected president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Before that, he led the Afghan Interim Administration from December 2001 to July 2002.
Karzai is the traditional chief of the Popalzai tribe, a group of Pashtuns in Kandahar Province. He was born in Kandahar and studied in India. In the 1980s, he helped Afghan rebels during the Soviet–Afghan War. After the Taliban government was removed in 2001, Karzai became an important political leader.
He was chosen to lead the Interim Administration in December 2001. Then, in 2002, he became the interim president. Karzai won the 2004 Afghan presidential election and became the official President of Afghanistan. He was re-elected in 2009 and finished his term in September 2014. Ashraf Ghani became the next president.
During his time as president, Karzai worked to build alliances between different groups in Afghanistan. Later, his relationship with NATO and the United States became difficult. After the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, Karzai said he invited them to prevent chaos. He believes the new Taliban government needs support from its own people to be recognized by other countries. This could happen through an election or a grand assembly called a loya jirga.
Contents
Early Life and Political Beginnings
Hamid Karzai was born on December 24, 1957, in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan. He belongs to the Popalzai Pashtun tribe. His family has a history of leadership. His father, Abdul Ahad Karzai, was a Deputy Speaker in the Afghan Parliament in the 1960s. His grandfather, Khair Mohammad Khan, fought in the 1919 Third Anglo-Afghan War.
The Karzai family supported Mohammed Zahir Shah, Afghanistan's last king. Karzai's uncle, Habibullah Karzai, was Afghanistan's representative at the United Nations.
Karzai went to school in Kandahar and Kabul. He graduated from Habibia High School in 1976. He then studied in India and earned a master's degree in international relations in 1983. After his studies, Karzai moved to Pakistan. There, he helped raise money for Afghan rebels fighting against the Soviet-backed government in the 1980s.
In 1992, when the pro-Soviet government fell, Karzai returned to Afghanistan. He served as Deputy Foreign Minister in the new government. Later, when the Taliban came to power in the mid-1990s, Karzai first thought they might bring peace. However, he soon realized they were being used by outside forces. He refused their offer to be an ambassador.
Karzai lived in Quetta, Pakistan, among other Afghan refugees. He worked to bring back the former Afghan king, Zahir Shah. He also talked with Western embassies to get support for a modern Afghanistan. In July 1999, his father was killed. After this, Karzai became the head of his tribe and worked closely with the anti-Taliban group called the Northern Alliance.
Before the United States invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, Karzai urged NATO countries to help remove al-Qaeda from Afghanistan.
Leading Afghanistan's Transition
Hamid Karzai had connections with the CIA. After the U.S. began its operations in Afghanistan in October 2001, the Northern Alliance worked with U.S. special forces. Together, they helped remove the Taliban government. Karzai and his group started a secret operation from Quetta.
Karzai gathered fighters from his tribe. They were attacked by the Taliban, and Karzai barely survived. He used his contacts to get help from the U.S. On December 5, 2001, Karzai and his group were accidentally hit by a missile from a U.S. Air Force plane. They were injured but survived.
In December 2001, Afghan leaders met in Germany to plan a new government. They created an Afghan Interim Administration. Karzai was chosen as its Chairman. He took office on December 22. In June 2002, a grand assembly called a loya jirga appointed Karzai as the Interim President of the new Afghan Transitional Administration.
Karzai wanted to unite Afghanistan's different ethnic groups. He often wore traditional Afghan clothing that combined styles from various groups. He also wore a special hat called a karakul, which many Afghan kings had worn.
When Karzai first became leader, his power was mostly limited to Kabul. Other areas were controlled by local leaders. Karzai worked to build good relationships with these leaders to benefit all of Afghanistan. In 2004, he refused a plan to stop poppy farming by spraying chemicals. He worried it would hurt his country's economy.
Becoming the First Elected President
In October 2004, Karzai ran for president in Afghanistan's first democratic election. He won in 21 of the 34 provinces. He defeated 22 other candidates.
Despite worries about violence, the election went smoothly. After an investigation into voting issues, Karzai was declared the winner in early November. He received 55.4% of the votes. This meant he became the first democratically elected leader of Afghanistan.
Karzai was sworn in as President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on December 7, 2004, in Kabul. Many saw this ceremony as a new beginning for the country. Important guests included Afghanistan's former King, Mohammed Zahir Shah, and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.
Karzai's Presidency
First Term (2004–2009)
After winning the 2004 election, many hoped Karzai would bring big changes. Afghanistan's economy started to grow quickly. The government's income also increased, though it still relied a lot on help from other countries.
During his first term, some people became unhappy about issues like corruption and civilian deaths during military operations. In May 2006, a protest in Kabul led to several deaths and injuries. In May 2007, after many Afghan civilians were killed in a bombing, Karzai said his government could "no longer accept" deaths caused by U.S. and NATO operations.
In September 2006, Karzai told the United Nations General Assembly that Afghanistan was a "worst victim" of terrorism. He said that terrorism was growing in his country, with militants crossing borders to attack civilians. He asked for international help to destroy terrorist safe places both inside and outside Afghanistan. He also urged NATO forces to be more careful to avoid harming civilians.
Second Term and Re-election (2009–2014)
In the 2009 presidential election, Karzai won more than 50% of the votes. However, the election faced problems like low voter turnout and claims of voting irregularities.
Two months later, Karzai agreed to a second round of voting. But his opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew from the race. So, Karzai was declared the winner.
Karzai tried to form a new government, but the Afghan parliament rejected many of his choices for cabinet ministers. They said the choices were not based on skill. Despite these challenges, Karzai eventually got many of his ministers confirmed.
Since 2001, Karzai has tried to bring peace to Afghanistan. He offered to pardon militants who would stop fighting and help rebuild the country. In April 2007, he said that Afghan militants were welcome to talk about peace, but foreign fighters were not. In September 2007, he again offered talks with the Taliban. He said, "If I can have a place where to send somebody to talk to, an authority that publicly says it is the Taliban authority, I will do it."
In 2010, Karzai invited Taliban leaders to a grand assembly to discuss peace talks. He urged them to lay down their weapons. In July 2010, he approved a plan to encourage lower-level Taliban fighters to join the peace process.
International Relations
Karzai had strong relationships with NATO countries, especially the United States. The U.S. played a big role in helping Afghanistan rebuild. Karzai made many diplomatic trips to the U.S. and other NATO countries.
However, in later years, his relationship with the U.S. became tense. Karzai often criticized the U.S. military for causing civilian casualties. He said he felt like he was being used by the United States.
Karzai's relations with neighboring Pakistan were generally good. He often called Afghanistan and Pakistan "inseparable twin brothers." They worked together on trade and fighting terrorism. In 2011, they signed a trade agreement to improve business between the two countries.
Karzai believed that Iran was a friend to Afghanistan. He said Iran had helped with reconstruction. He also admitted that Iran had given millions of dollars directly to his office. He resisted Western criticism of Iran, saying the two nations were close.
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Some international groups criticized Karzai's government for not stopping Taliban attacks and for corruption. Karzai defended the elections, saying that while there were some problems, the election as a whole was "good and free and democratic."
In June 2010, Karzai visited Japan. The two countries discussed new aid from Japan and Afghanistan's newly found mineral resources. Karzai invited Japanese companies to invest in mining projects. Japan has given billions of dollars in aid to Afghanistan since 2002.
In July 2014, Karzai condemned Israeli attacks on Gaza and pledged $500,000 in aid to Gaza.
Karzai had a friendly relationship with India, where he went to university. In October 2011, he signed a special partnership agreement with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Karzai said this agreement was not against any other country but was for Afghanistan's benefit.
Safety Concerns and Attacks
There have been several attempts to harm Hamid Karzai, mainly by the Taliban and groups like the Haqqani network. These groups are believed to get support from Pakistan's intelligence service.
In October 2011, while Karzai was visiting India, Afghan agents arrested six people in Kabul. They were planning to harm Karzai. The group included university students and a professor, and they were linked to al-Qaeda and the Haqqani network.
Here are some other times attempts were made:
- September 5, 2002: An attempt was made on Karzai's life in Kandahar.
- June 10, 2007: Taliban fighters tried to harm Karzai in Ghazni while he was giving a speech.
- April 27, 2008: Fighters, possibly from the Haqqani network, attacked a military parade in Kabul that Karzai was attending. Karzai was safe, but at least three people were killed.
Views on the Taliban
In a 2013 interview, Karzai called the Taliban his "brothers." He said that the Afghan government and people did not want to get rid of the Taliban. Instead, they wanted to bring the Taliban back into society. He had used this term before, in his 2009 victory speech.
In 2015, a police chief claimed that Karzai had stopped an attack on a Taliban training camp. The camp was in Logar Province, and a military operation was planned to deal with it. However, Karzai prevented the attack.
After His Presidency
After the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in August 2021, Karzai stayed in Kabul. He asked the Taliban to respect his family and the people of Afghanistan.
In February 2022, Karzai criticized the U.S. decision to divide frozen Afghan money between humanitarian aid and victims of the September 11 attacks. He called it an "atrocity" and said the money belonged to the Afghan people.
Karzai has also spoken out against the Taliban government for not keeping their promises about women's rights. He has asked them to reopen schools for girls and has criticized the demand for women to wear a burqa. He believes that Afghanistan needs education for girls to become independent.
Personal Life and Family
In 1999, Hamid Karzai married Zeenat Quraishi, a doctor who worked with Afghan refugees. They have a son, Mirwais, born in 2007, and three daughters.
Karzai has six brothers, including Mahmood Karzai and Qayum Karzai. His brother Ahmed Wali Karzai passed away. He also has one sister, Fauzia Karzai. His family owns several Afghan restaurants in the United States.
Karzai is from the Shamizai subtribe of the Popalzais. His grandfather, Khair Muhammad Karzai, was a Popalzai tribal head. This helped Karzai's father, Abdul Ahad, become involved with the royal family and parliament.
After the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, Karzai chose to remain in the city with his daughters.
Awards and Honors
Hamid Karzai has received many awards and honorary degrees from around the world. Here are some of them:
- A special medallion from the United States House of Representatives in January 2002, made from steel from the World Trade Center site.
- The Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in June 2002.
- An honorary doctorate from Himachal Pradesh University in India in March 2003.
- He was made an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George by Queen Elizabeth II in June 2003.
- The Liberty Medal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in July 2004.
- Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Boston University in May 2005 and Georgetown University in September 2006.
- An honorary degree from the Center for Afghan Studies at the University of Nebraska – Omaha in May 2005.
- An honorary Doctorate from Nippon Sport Science University in June 2012.
- An honorary Doctorate from Lovely Professional University in May 2013.
Images for kids
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Karzai speaking before the U.S. Congress in June 2004.
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Karzai in February 2009.
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Karzai at the 2011 Afghan Independence Day in Kabul.
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Karzai with former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in June 2006.
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Anders Fogh Rasmussen with Karzai in 2009.
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Karzai with Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev in 2010.
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Karzai speaking at the 47th Munich Security Conference in 2011.
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Karzai greeting U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House in 2006.
See also
In Spanish: Hamid Karzai para niños
- List of presidents of Afghanistan
- Politics of Afghanistan
- Mahmoud Karzai
- Ahmed Wali Karzai
- Kabul Bank crisis
- Afghan Peace Jirga 2010
- Hamid Karzai International Airport
Books/Articles
- Dam, Bette. A Man and a Motorcycle, Ipso Facto Publ., Sept. 2014.
- Dam, Bette. "The Misunderstanding of Hamid Karzai", Foreign Policy, Oc.t 3, 2014.
