The Hand Analysis of Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan

Hamid Karzai’s hands show that he is a clever and glib talker, and extremely shrewd. A difficult man to upstage. The United States is finding this out now, but even a cursory glance at the President of Afghanistan’s hands reveals that he is as smooth as they come.

There have been some changes in his personality over the years. His right hand (indicating the current state of mind) reveals that he is far less idealistic and religious than he was earlier. Today he has
a practical, common sense approach to his cause, if does believe in one. He will compromise if he feels the situation demands it, as long as it achieves his goals. He can be very very flexible.

Karzai has broad fingers of a medium length, with rounded tips and most of his fingers are bent. The Jupiter finger is also quite low set. The Jupiter, Venus (mount at the base of the thumb) and Lower Moon mounts are well developed and so is the Apollo mount (underneath the ring finger). His hand seems quite flexible, and soft, and the thumb is supple. The quadrangle (space between the head and heart lines) is broad and so is his palm. Overall there is a good balance of the palm with the length of his fingers. The thumb is a good length, with the first and second phalange appropriately balanced, with the first phalange shorter.

Karzai can also be impulsive and he is the kind who would find it difficult to stand up to opposition. The advantage is that he is not rigid and fixed in his views, he readily sees another point of view and goes with the flow. This may be a desirable trait in a politician, but the current situation in Afghanistan is such that there is an ever-present danger of Karzai being won over by dangerous factions.

Here are some photographs of Hamid Karzai's hands, here and here.

If he recently threatened the United States that he would join the Taliban, then he has considered it! There are some in the American establishment who feel that Karzai is not serious, but the Afghani President has an uncanny knack for sizing up a situation and going halfway to meet it. He is a survivor and has survived precisely because of his ability to change colours.

Hamid Karzai wants power and leadership but finally, if he feels that the U.S. is giving him the better deal and protecting him, he’ll stay friends with the U.S. But if the Taliban can do it, then that is where he will be tempted to go, if he can trust them. As he does not have a deep belief system and lacks pride; he can compromise his principles. He can do a lot behind doors that no one will ever know. Besides, he is a master manipulator and plans his moves very carefully.

Even if he loves his country, the idealism and high-mindedness of his early days have been replaced by cynicism and bitterness and this is clear if one compares his passive hand, which shows the inherited qualities and the active hand, which shows who he is today. Even his warmth for others has reduced and he has become more reserved over the years. He does not have the same love for people in general as he had earlier. These are not good signs for a political leader.

Sure, he has the ability to reason and is practical, but he does not possess a strong character. He is not sufficiently aggressive either. He lacks the ability to push and get things done. His executive abilities are average and it is likely that he will not really do anything much because he does not have the idealism and the drive for it, and he is unlikely to be able to execute his plans. 

Related Reading: Nelson Mandela, Li Keqiang the Chinese Premier or The hand of Evo Morales or Lee Kuan Yew - Hand Reading or  Why Robert Mugabe is who he is

Or read about the difference between Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher.

Or check out the hand analysis of other world leaders and politicians, from the West and the East.

Free photo from Pete Souza, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons