So, who invited Hamid Karzai anyway?

Civic, business and academic leaders answered an ethical question Wednesday: Is it proper for a business ethics group to invite to Omaha world leaders such as controversial Afghan President Hamid Karzai?

Those attending the annual trustees meeting of the Greater Omaha Business Ethics Alliance decided that it is.

The ethics alliance had invited Karzai, who said he wanted to attend but couldn't because of his country's election and other demands.

In an election process marred by vote-stuffing, Karzai won a second term as president after a runoff election was canceled. His remaining opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, had withdrawn, saying government measures to guard against voter fraud were inadequate.

Robert Bates, a retired insurance executive and chairman of the three-year-old ethics alliance based at Creighton University, said some of the group's 125 trustees objected to the invitation, as well as last year's appearance by former Mexican President Vicente Fox. The critics said inviting world leaders doesn't fit with the alliance's goals of building ethical excellence in Omaha and promoting good ethics in other communities, Bates said.

About 140 people, including trustees and guests, attended Wednesday's meeting at Creighton. Many of them donate money toward the alliance's $160,000-a-year operating budget.

Trustees include CEOs of many of the city's largest and most influential companies and nonprofit groups, including Valmont Industries, First National Bank, Gallup, the Urban League, Union Pacific Corp., Peter Kiewit Foundation and Mutual of Omaha. Thomas Gouttierre, dean of international studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, spoke in Karzai's place.

Gouttierre said Karzai is a friend and the best choice for president because he can unify a wide group of Afghans. But he is not an experienced manager and needs U.S. help to operate an effective government, Gouttierre said.

He said President Barack Obama appears to be on the right course in setting a comprehensive, long-term policy for Afghanistan, which he said should include the added troops that Gen. Stanley McChrystal has requested.

Asked about reports of widespread corruption in Afghanistan, Gouttierre said corruption exists but it can be traced largely to the United States and other nations pumping huge amounts of money into the country without properly controlling how it is spent.

The funds should go to employ Afghans, not high-salaried foreign contractors, mostly to build public works projects such as schools, roads and agricultural improvements that will benefit the country long term, he said.

Gouttierre, who lived in Afghanistan for a decade and established connections between UNO and Kabul University, said the country has no chance for a normal future without successful U.S. engagement, including a commitment similar to the Marshall Plan that reconstructed Europe after World War II.

The average Afghan wants the United States to drive out the “warlords, drug lords and terrorists,” Gouttierre said.

“It's going to take a long time,'' he said. “This is not just an in-and-out deal like Grenada.”

The United States also needs a strong, lasting policy for neighboring Pakistan, which he said is more dangerous in the long run than Afghanistan because it has more people and a huge region controlled by terrorists and other violent groups.

“We've got to work with Pakistan to eliminate that area,” he said.

After Gouttierre's talk, Bates said inviting world leaders doesn't mean the alliance endorses their policies or viewpoints. Rather, he said, the goal is to inform Omahans and to acquaint international figures with the city.

“We learned a great deal” from Fox's appearance, Bates said. “We envision that Omaha will be the place where world leaders can come and learn about us.”

The alliance's activities primarily promote ethical business practices, including sponsoring networking luncheons, providing an ethics “tool kit” for businesses, surveying businesses on related issues and educating business operators and students.

The alliance will be “thoughtful” in extending invitations, Bates said. So, he asked the trustees, should the coalition continue to invite world leaders to Omaha?

The group's reply was “yes.”

“Anyone with strong objections?” Bates asked.

No one spoke.

Afterward, Bates said Karzai and Fox are from countries that struggle with establishing stable, democratic governments and both have faced ethical issues. Understanding their struggles can help people in Omaha, he said.

“We're not here to judge. We're not here to express approval. We're here to become more educated about some of the issues that leaders face worldwide.”

Contact the writer:

444-1080, steve.jordon@owh.com

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