During a midnight deal signed in Kabul last week, President Obama extended the stay of U.S. troops in Afghanistan until 2024. Regardless of the justifications used to keep troops in the foreign country, the basic point, coming from working and underclass people at home in the U.S., is still not being addressed.

While the anti-war crowd has always been opposed to the war and destruction in Afghanistan, people throughout the social and political spectrum are finally beginning to realize the simple equation that every dollar spent in Afghanistan means one less dollar spent here. And this realization is becoming more and more apparent as more people need more of those dollars here.

Here's a rather revealing item which got almost no mention in the Canadian press. A cousin of Hamid Karzai kills another cousin of Hamid Karzai in an honour killing. It appears that the killer, Hashmat Karzai, had the support of Hamid and his brothers, one of whom, Ahmed Wali Karzai, is the recognized head of the Karzai clan and the de facto governor of Kandahar -- and drug kingpin and CIA informant. Police investigation seems to be blocked, likely due to Wali's influence.

This remarkable story got mentioned on page 16 of the Montreal Gazette (Dec 24/09) and nowhere else in the Canadian press.

Killing Bares Karzai Clan Feud, And Doubts on Afghan Justice
James Risen - The New York Times