Karzai-Layton: a love affair not to be....

Reading this morning about Jack Layton's repeated requests to meet with Hamid Karzai, using contacts in Foreign Affairs, contacts through the Afghan embassy makes one feel a lil sorry for poor Jack. Hamid just won't talk to him. Snubbed before that first date - Hamid obviously not considering the leader of Canada's FOURTH federal party not worth his time. DUH!

But aside from that I am of 2 minds on this....one it is obvious why he would not talk. First, Jack opposes the military invasion and continued troop deployments. Those troop deployments allowed Hamid to have his job. So really, Hamid wants those troops there a while longer since his seat is not that cushy yet. Second, to meet with Jack would set bad precedent. Jack holds no significant power. And he risks making a political mess here (a mess that could suignificantly damage Canadian involvement in Afghanistan) if he was to meet with Jack.

Nonetheless, one has to at least give Jack the credit of trying. It would have been a significant coup for him and the NDP to get that meeting as the spin could have been significant. But ya had to know it would not happen. Too bad for Jack, I think it makes him appear a lil naive to think he would get it.