Hamid Karzai (President McCain)

Hamid Karzai (Pashto: حامد کرزی - Ḥāmid Karzay; born 24 December 1957) was the 12th President of Afghanistan, serving from December 7, 2004 to November 19, 2009. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban government in late 2001. During the Bonn Conference in Germany, on December 5, 2001, Karzai was selected by prominent Afghan political figures to serve a six months term as Chairman of the Transitional Administration. He was then chosen for a two years term as the Interim President during the 2002 Loya Jirga in Kabul, Afghanistan. After the 2004 presidential election, Karzai won and became President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He then lost to his opponent Abdullah Abdullah in the 2009 presidential election in the run-off election.