A Man and a Motorcycle: How Hamid Karzai Came to Power

With a secondhand motorcycle, the support of a few powerful tribesmen and a good friend in the CIA, the unknown Hamid Karzai willed himself to power as the new hope of Afghanistan. Acclaimed journalist Bette Dam chronicles the astonishing rise of Afghanistan?s U. S.-backed leader from obscurity to one of the most influential figures in the global war on terror. Following the 2001 toppling of the Taliban, a fragile Afghanistan was on the brink. Karzai, armed with a recipe for victory came within inches of helping the U. S. declare victory in the war on terror. But sentiments run high in post-9/11 America, and the desire for revenge derailed an early chance at peace. As U. S. troops leave Afghanistan, and power is handed to a new president, Karzai?s legacy remains one of betrayal, mistrust, and missed opportunities.