The real endgame Karzai is working toward is that of a nominal, Pashtun-nationalist government in Kabul overlaying a Taliban-dominated countryside. Together they function not only as a crime family capable of exploiting Afghanistan’s resources but also as a highly effective proxy for Pakistan’s interminable battle against Indian influence.

Polls are now closed in the United Kingdom, and the UK Guardian published an exit poll indicating that no party won a majority. So, there could be what is called a “hung parliament”–a House of Commons where no one party holds a majority of seats. In many parliamentary systems, this is not an unusual occurrence and results in a coalition government, but in two-party-dominated Britain, this could turn out to be a watershed event.