End nears for Krazai guy

Walt's been off for three days. The heat makes my beard feel hot and itchy and I get too grumpy even to write.

Besides, not much has happened. I note, though, that Taliban gunmen took out Jan Mohammed Khan, an adviser to Ahmid Karzai, the democratically elected President of Afraghanistan. Khan, who was governor of Uruzgan province in the southern part of the armpit from 2002 until March 2006, was shot along with Uruzgan lawmaker Mohammed Ashim Watanwal.

Last week, you will recall, the Taliban (or somebody) put away the President's half-brother, Wally. Then a suicide bomber sent himself and five others to paradise at Wally's memorial service.

So there's the half-brother gone, and now two of the Prez's close advisers and fellow tribesmen. Getting pretty close to The Man Himself, wouldn't you say? Walt predicts that before the end of 2011, Karzai will either have been assassinated or fled to sanctuary in a friendly country -- Iran, perhaps. You read it here first. Lifetime pct: .977.

Footnote: The suicide bomber who self-detonated last week had the bomb hidden in his turban. It could happen here because, of course, we wouldn't deny someone the right to wear the headgear prescribed by his religion. Mustn't discriminate.