Ahmed Wali Karzai: 'I am so high right now'

As the spotlight fell on Afghanistan this week with the visit of President Obama to Kabul, many are looking to the Karzai administration to stamp out corruption to build an effective government so US troops can go home. One of the largest challenges to this is President Karzai's brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, a drug lord whose connections to the president make him a near untouchable in Kandahar.

The Fourth Corner found Mr. Karzai in a hazy opium den in downtown Kandahar City to ask him about the impending US invasion of Kandahar City and his ties to the CIA and the local drug trade. Upon entering the den, the author of this piece was offered a tolk of righteous hash.

FC: Mr Karzai ....
AWK: Please, call me Ahmed. Mr. Karzai is my father's name.
FC: Ahmed, there are allegations you've been involved in the drug trade here in Kandahar City? Is that true?
AWK: In K-Town? Pshh, no. What? No. I'm a government official. If I were in the drug trade do you think they'd let me be a government official?
FC: Well, there have been a lot of accusations about nepotism in the government, and your brother is the president.
AWK: Half-brother. He's my half-brother. What a dick.
FC: So you're not in the drug trade?
AWK: No, this is recreational only [indicating the opium pipe in hand].
FC: Are you concerned that in the upcoming offensive the Taliban will target you as a government official.
AWK: (laughs)
FC: What's so funny?
AWK: Nothing, nothing. Ahh. No. (chuckles) I'm not worried.
FC: Are you worried the US forces might target you?
AWK: (laughs)
FC: What now?
AWK: Nothing, nothing. I just have a nice arrangement with some people. I am not worried.
FC: The CIA?
AWK: Shhhhhh....
FC: So the CIA lets you, a corrupt official involved in the drug trade, stay in power so they can capture other corrupt officials involved in the drug trade?
AWK: Whoa. That is deep.
FC: Do you think that's in the best interests of the people you represent in Kandahar?
AWK: K-Town represent!!
FC: No really. Do you? Does that sound like a good strategy for the CIA to pay to rat on the drug trade you're masterminding?
AWK: ...
FC: Ahmed?
AWK: What?
FC: I asked if you agreed with the CIA's strategy of using you to undermine your own drug trade sounded like a good idea.
AWK: (laughs) What drug trade?
FC: You're smoking opium in front of me.
AWK: I know. I am so high right now.