Here is Jihad Watch Board Vice President Hugh Fitzgerald’s uproarious take on Condoleeza Rice’s phone conversation with Hamid Karzai:
Robert’s imagined conversation between Condoleeza Rice and Hamid Karzai puts one in mind of a certain famous movie conversation. I have changed only a few words, and added words of my own, but much of the original remains present.
“Hello?… Ah… I can’t hear too well. Do you suppose you could turn the music down just a little?… Oh-ho, that’s much better… yeah… huh… yes.. Fine, I can hear you now, Hamid… Clear and plain and coming through fine… I’m coming through fine, too, eh?… Good, then… well, then, as you say, we’re both coming through fine… Good… Well, it’s good that you’re fine and… and I’m fine… I agree with you, it’s great to be fine… a-ha-ha-ha-ha…
“Now then, Hamid, you know how we’ve always talked about the possibility of something going wrong with that Sharia of yours… The Sharia, Hamid…… The Islamic Sharia… Well now, what happened is… ah… well, you know, our people, Hamid, they’re just a little funny on the subject..just a little funny in the head, and they don’t always understand…just a little funny in the head… you know… just a little… funny. And, ah.. they’ve gone and done a silly thing… Well, I’ll tell you what they’ve done, Hamid. They want us to stop supporting your government….Yes, Hamid, your government. They don’t like you….No, Hamid, I don’t think it is fair. I know you’re trying….You don’t like them, either, Hamid? I understand. I completely understand….
“Well, it’s like this, Hamid. Some of think that if that convert is killed…they don’t see why we should keep support you. Ah…yes, I know it’s none of their business. Yes…but they think it is, Hamid…. They think that everyone should have the freedom to….Well, let me finish, Hamid… Let me finish, Hamid… Well listen, how do you think I feel about it?… Can you imagine how I feel about it, Hamid?… Why do you think I’m calling you? Just to say hello?… Of course I like to speak to you!… Of course I like to say hello!… Not now, but anytime, Hamid. I’m just calling up to tell you something terrible is happening… It’s a friendly call. Of course it’s a friendly call… Listen, if it wasn’t friendly… you probably wouldn’t have even got it…
“They will not be able to turn our policy around for at least another few months, Hamid… I am… I am positive, Hamid… Listen, I’ve been all over this with your ambassador. It is not a trick… Well, I’ll tell you. We’d like to give your judges a chance to declare the man insane…Yes! That’s right, Hamid. So you won’t have to kill him. Is that all right, Hamid? Would that be….You don’t have to get mad, Hamid. I am not insulting Islam, Hamid. No, not at all. I mean i-i-i-if we’re unable to stop his execution, Hamid, then… I’d say that, ah.. well, ah… we’re just gonna have to stop helping you, Hamid….I know you need them, Hamid. But they’re our boys…and our planes, and our equipment. And our money. C’mon Hamid, be reasonable. No, Hamid, we don’t owe it to you. No, Hamid, it is not something we have to give you, or else…Stop talking like that, Hamid. That’s not nice….
“Okay, calm down. Did you calm down? ….All right, we’ll listen now. Who should we call?… Who should we call, Hamid? The sheiks at Al-Azhar? Al-Qaradawi…? Someone in Saudi Arabia? Hamid, are you Sunni or Shi’a?… Why do I ask? Well, Hamid, I think it matters, doesn’t it? Not sure, but I think you guys have some differences, isn’t that right, Hamid?…You tell me, Hamid. I’ll do what you say. Oh, yes I should have known. Right, Khalilzad, he’s one of you, isn’t you. And he’s a Sunni. Right, Hamid. I should have known. Does that mean you are all Sunnis over there, or are you like in Iraq?….No, I’m sorry, Hamid. I didn’t mean any disrespect. Just trying to figure it all out…..
“Yes Hamid, it is complicated for us here…. Why does it matter? Well, you tell me, Hamid. Does it matter? Should I think it should matter? I mean, do you get executed if you are a former Sunni or just if you are a former Shi’a?…What’s that, Hamid? Oh, it doesn’t matter? Not the least little bit? Not even the teeniest little bit? Same punishment? Gosh, Hamid, you guys really take it seriously, don’t you?… No, Hamid, I didn’t mean that. No, Hamid, I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s fine…Yes, Hamid. Yes, I apologize. I won’t say that again….No, Hamid, I’ll never do it again. No, the President won’t either. I promise, Hamid. No one in the American government will ever ever make fun…. You, sorry, you faded away there…
“So what’s the best person to call about this, Hamid? Oh, you’ll call them first, will you?… Uh-huh… Listen, do you happen to have the phone number on you, Hamid?… Whe-ah, what? I see, just ask for Cairo information… Ah-ah-eh-uhm-hm… I’m sorry, too, Hamid… I’m very sorry… *All right*, you’re sorrier than I am, but I am as sorry as well… I am as sorry as you are, Hamid! Don’t say that you’re more sorry than I am, because I’m capable of being just as sorry as you are… So we’re both sorry, all right?… All right.”
With thanks to Dr. Strangelove.