Hamid Karzai

President of Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014 · Afghanistan · Politicians · Born 1957 · age 68

Hamid Karzai is read about 1,058 times a day, in 89 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 23 October 2026

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He led the US-backed uprising against the Taliban in 2001, became Afghanistan's first elected president, then spent his later years in office calling the Taliban his brothers and warning Washington was fighting the wrong enemy. After the Taliban returned in 2021, Karzai said he'd invited them into Kabul himself.

Politicians Politician Politics 20th Century

A life in dates

2013“On the security front the entire Nato exercise was one that caused Afghanistan a lot of suffering, a lot of loss of life, and no gains because the country is not secure.”In their words7 October 2013Quoted on BBC News, "Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai says Nato caused 'great suffering'", (October 7, 2013).Read the whole statement

2006“Terrorism sees, in the prosperity of the Afghan people, its ultimate defeat.”In their words22 September 2006Address to Canadian Parliament (September 22, 2006)Read the whole statement

“My problem is that I am perhaps too much of a democrat for this time of the country's life. If you need a dictator, then go to the Afghan people. Let them elect a dictator.”In their words10 September 2006Interview with Times magazine (September 10, 2006)Read the whole statement

“Politics without morality is close to sin.”In their wordsApril 2006Verbatim Remarks by H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at Osmania University, Hyderabad, India.(April 2006)Read the whole statement

“There is no doubt that people are angry.”In their words9 March 2006[http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1072624.html President Karzai Discusses Worsening Security (March 9, 2006)Read the whole statement

2005“Democracy as a system of government may indeed be unprecedented in Afghanistan, but democracy as a way of life, a set of principles and values, is deeply embedded in our society.”In their words25 February 2005Speech at the India Today Conclave (February 25, 2005)Read the whole statement

Indira Gandhi Peace PrizeAward2004Named President of AfghanistanOffice7 December 2004 to 29 September 20142002Freedom AwardAward1957Born24 December 1957

Also in Deutsch

Photos 8

Hamid Karzai listens to Barack Obama in Kabul 2012 (cropped)

President Obama and Afghan President Karzai Deliver Remarks (4643074096)

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the President of Afghanistan, Mr. Hamid Karzai, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Chairperson, UPA, Smt. Sonia Gandhi at the presentation of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace

Defense.gov News Photo 070604-D-7203T-020

Hamid Karzai, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the Minister of State for Environment and Forests (Independent Charge)

Jaipal Reddy and the Minister of Mines of Afghanistan, Mr. Wahidullah Shahrani signing an MoU on Co-operation in the field of Development of Hydrocarbons between the Ministry of Mines of Afghanistan and the Ministry of

John Olver&Karzai

Master Plan Endorsement

In their own words 10

Hamid Karzai

10 statements, newest first

On the security front the entire Nato exercise was one that caused Afghanistan a lot of suffering, a lot of loss of life, and no gains because the country is not secure.
Oct 7, 2013, Quoted on BBC News, "Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai says Nato caused 'great suffering'", (October 7, 2013)., Own words
Terrorism sees, in the prosperity of the Afghan people, its ultimate defeat.
Sep 22, 2006, Address to Canadian Parliament (September 22, 2006), Own words
My problem is that I am perhaps too much of a democrat for this time of the country's life. If you need a dictator, then go to the Afghan people. Let them elect a dictator.
Sep 10, 2006, Interview with Times magazine (September 10, 2006), Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

Awards

Indira Gandhi Peace Prize2005

Freedom Award2002

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George

Philadelphia Liberty Medal

Steiger Award

Golden Plate Award

Order of Saint Michael and Saint George

Family

Father Abdul Ahad Karzai

Hamid Karzai

Partners

Spouse Zeenat Karzai

Brothers and sisters

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About this person

Born in Kandahar in 1957, Karzai studied in Kabul and India before spending the Soviet-Afghan War raising funds for the mujahideen in Pakistan. After his father's 1999 assassination, he inherited leadership of the Popalzai tribe. When the US invasion began in October 2001, he rallied Pashtun tribes around Kandahar against the Taliban. By December, Afghan leaders in Germany selected him to chair the Interim Administration. The 2002 loya jirga made him interim president; he won the 2004 and 2009 elections outright, serving until 2014. Early on he built alliances across Afghanistan's ethnic divides and worked to strengthen ties with Pakistan, but his relations with NATO soured as he openly criticized counterinsurgency tactics, urged focus on Pakistan's Taliban support, and described the insurgents as brothers. Corruption charges followed him. When the Taliban took Kabul in August 2021, Karzai claimed he'd invited them in to prevent chaos.

Country

Afghanistan

Politicians from Afghanistan 6

Ahmad Massoud72.3 Hibatullah Akhundzada63.8

Mohammed Zahir Shah62.4 Mohammed Omar62.2

Abdul Ghaffar Khan57.6

Ismail Khan57.2

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