Hamid Karzai, 2002 News

Afghan politician, was elected interim president in a landslide during June's loya jirga, or grand council, of 1,500 delegates. He'll serve until general elections in 2004. He promptly assembled a cabinet, selecting representatives from Afghanistan's many ethnic groups. Karzai's enormous popularity in the West led to the infusion of both financial assistance and troops to the war-ravaged country. However, his grasp on power within the country remains somewhat tenuous, with warlords maintaining tight regional control. He narrowly averted an assassination attempt in September.


2002 People in the News