Strange days

The WaPo has a follow-up to the NYT tale of the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, AKA, Khalilzad, going off the reservation, wining and dining with Zardari, widower of the late Bhutto, martyr of our ally Pakistan. Going out of channels. Please read it, then come back.

The article is a strange counterpoint to the NYT article. In contrast to the latter, the tone is breezy, and takes some liberties with Ambassador Khalilzad's dignity:

Khalilzad, a voluble, Afghan-born political appointee who previously served as ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq, was rebuked recently by the senior official for South and Central Asia affairs for planning to give "advice and help" to Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of assassinated former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Voluble, Afghan-born, rebuked. Ouch. And then there is more on the President of Afghanistan theme:

Indeed, Khalilzad has done little to dispel rumors that he is considering running for president of Afghanistan, seeking to oust Hamid Karzai.

Answering a question we asked before, we then learn that it is Condi that has Khalilzad's back:

State Department spokesman Robert A. Wood said yesterday that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice retains "full confidence" in Khalilzad, who is known as "Zal" in diplomatic circles. Another U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, put it more bluntly: "Zal can do no wrong. The vice president is growing weary of his unpredictability, but the president thinks he's still a rock star."

Comment is almost superfluous after that paragraph, we are in full bizarro mode. In a real world, Condoleezza Rice would have to respond for her lack of competence, or lack of authority, if what the WaPo says is true. Why is Negroponte, rather than Condi chastising Zal for going out of channels? Who is in charge?

In mid-2007, Negroponte took up the task of delivering a "stern warning" to Khalilzad, saying the department had been "alerted to the existence of a separate channel." Khalilzad said it would stop. Three days later, Khalilzad had dinner with Bhutto, prompting a sarcastic e-mail from Boucher making clear he knew about the dinner.

The buck must stop at Condi, because Feckless Leader thinks he's a rock star, or somebody is. Will Condi take the fall here? What is going on?