US, allies give Karzai 6 months to perform

The United States and its allies have reportedly given Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai six months to sideline his brother and reduce corruption or risk losing American support, Afghan officials have told The Times.
Senior palace insiders said that President Obama delivered the ultimatum when he congratulated Karzai on his re-election on Monday.
Top of his demands was action against corruption, the appointment of "reform-minded ministers" and several high-profile scalps to prove Karzai's commitment to cleaning up his Government.
"If he doesn't meet the conditions within six months, Obama has told him America will pull out," said an official with access to Karzai's inner circle.
"Obama said they don't want their soldiers' lives wasted for nothing. They want changes in Cabinet, and changes in his personal staff," he added.
Meanwhile, former presidential challenger Abdullah Abdullah said Hamid Karzai's re-election as Afghan leader was illegal, accusing his rival Wednesday of lacking a mandate to deliver on pledges of unity and reform.
Three days after pulling out of a run-off against the incumbent, Abdullah said a subsequent decision by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to hand Karzai another five years in power had no basis in law and underlined its bias.
But the former foreign minister refrained from calling on his supporters to take to the streets.
"This (IEC) decision does not have a legal basis," Abdullah told reporters.
"Such a government which lacks legitimacy cannot fight corruption.
"A government which comes to power without the people's support cannot fight phenomena of terrorism, unemployment, poverty and hundreds of other problems."
The President's half-brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, has repeatedly denied claims that he controls Afghanistan's billion-dollar heroin trade.
As he head of Kandahar's provincial council, he is the main powerbroker in the south of the country, but the President has refused to remove him, insisting that there is no proof of wrongdoing.
In his acceptance speech Tuesday, Karzai vowed to eradicate the "dark stain of corruption", which he admitted had undermined faith in his regime.
Afghan officials said that efforts are on to find Wali Karzai a new position.
The American Embassy is understood to have warned Karzai it will start collecting evidence against Wali Karzai if he is not removed from Kandahar.