Karzai Taps Suspected Torturer, Drug Trafficker as Intelligence Chief

We're paying for Afghanistan's rotten government in American blood and treasure

The man tapped as Afghanistan's next intelligence chief faces allegations of drug trafficking and torture that stem from his work as a powerful official in the rough-and-tumble Taliban-birthplace of Kandahar, according to testimony from a top Canadian diplomat and other sources familiar with the new appointee.

A staunch Karzai loyalist and anti-Taliban fighter known for his experience and heavy-handed tactics, Asadullah Khalid is the country's minister of tribal and border affairs who oversees its southern security forces.