If the Afghan war was fought “for the U.S. security and for the Western interest,” it was a spectacular failure, and continues to be one, as it was fought with no clear idea of who the enemy was and no plan for victory. The U.S. oversaw the implementation of a Sharia constitution and a regime that is increasingly hostile, sacrificed untold numbers of troops to attacks from our putative allies (in service of the notion that “moderate” Muslims could be easily distinguished from “extremists,” and would always be friendly), and after initially pushing the Taliban back, ultimately lost the will to fight them effectively. The U.S., if it had a sane government that was really interested in “the U.S. security” and “the Western interest,” would take this despicable ingrate’s words to heart, and leave Afghanistan immediately. It should have been done long ago.
“Hamid Karzai says Afghan war not fought in his country’s interest: report,” from Reuters, March 3:
Washington: Expressing “extreme anger” toward the U.S. government, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in an interview with the Washington Post that the war in Afghanistan was not fought with his country’s interests in mind.
“Afghans died in a war that’s not ours,” Karzai said in the interview published on Sunday, just a month before an election to pick his successor.
He was quoted as saying he was certain the 12-year-old war, America’s longest and launched after the attacks of September 11, 2001, was “for the U.S. security and for the Western interest.”
Karzai’s refusal to sign a security deal with Washington that would permit foreign troops to stay in Afghanistan beyond this year has frustrated the White House, and President Barack Obama has told the Pentagon to prepare for the possibility that no U.S. troops will be left in Afghanistan after 2014.
Obama told Karzai in a phone call on Tuesday he had given the order to the Pentagon. The phone call was the first substantive discussion between the two leaders since June.
But staking out a new position, the White House said in a statement it would leave open the possibility of concluding the bilateral security agreement later this year.
“It’s good for them to sign it with my successor,” Karzai told the Post. He has insisted the United States must jump-start peace talks with Taliban insurgents and end raids and strikes on Afghan homes before he signs the deal.
The NATO-led force in Afghanistan has a current strength of more than 52,000 soldiers, including 33,600 U.S. troops. More than 3,400 coalition forces have been killed in the fight against the Taliban, including more than 2,300 U.S. troops.
While Afghanistan’s police and army are seen as having made big strides in their ability to fight militants, doubts remain about whether they can keep a still-potent Taliban at bay, especially in remote areas.
In the interview, the Afghan leader said he was deeply troubled by the war’s casualties, including those in U.S. military operations, and felt betrayed by what he described as an insufficient U.S. focus on going after Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan rather than in Afghan villages.
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan dissipated his country’s “common cause” with the United States, Karzai told the newspaper.
Criticizing his U.S. allies was the only way to secure a response by Washington to his concerns, he added.
The Post said Karzai told his interviewers as he escorted them out of his office on Saturday night: “To the American people, give them my best wishes and my gratitude. To the U.S. government, give them my anger, my extreme anger.”
fair_dinkum says
is that ‘karzi’ or karzai
Juliane Toldyouso says
Wowl.
mortimer says
Karzai’s rant is incomprehensible, considering how much American money he and his family have salted away in Switzerland. You would expect more gratitude. The huge support of Afghans for Sharia shows how HUGELY delusional they are.
PEW Research discovered: “Some 99% of the 1,509 respondents surveyed face to face by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life said they would want Shari‘a to be “the official law of the land,” reads the report, The World’s Muslims: Religion, Politics and Society, released at the end of April (2013). This figure compares with 84% in Pakistan.”
Bill Miller says
he sure showed his many faces, they will kill the prick after we leave anyway.
Petey says
your kidding right? you think this clown will have the nuts to stay after hes not president and the yanks are gone. He knows damn well some nutcase will kill him, no he wants the yanks out now so he can get out of dodge soonest. hell live somewhere in Europe or EGAD (north america) a millionaire
Descendantofacrusader says
The included photo speaks volumes with Karzai’s lap-dog, U.S. Sec. of State John Kerry, pleading with his hands raised in humble supplication at his majesty’s rear. I’m wondering who is the greater criminal of the two. At least Karzi is honest about his muslim “superiority”. How dreadful it is that so much of America’s blood and treasure has been so wantonly sacrificed over such foolishness.
voegelinian says
I thought the accompanying photo was a scene from a screwball comedy from the 90s, with Ben Kingsley (left) and Fred Gwynne (right).
Inchoate says
Let Karzai […andMaliki] be a lesson […s] to us Americans to not get further involved “on the ground’ inside the borders of these West and Central Asian Muslim entities.
These Muslim controlled areas should be quarantined and isolated insofar as possible so that their incessant intramural butcherings can continue without further sacrifice of American blood. Quarantined so as to prevent the spread of malignant Muslims and Koran-based processes.
They shift their allegiances and “allies” with each shift in the airy breeze of challenge to their traditional turf jurisdictions.
This has been going on for centuries, why should we Americans think that we can make any lasting cultural changes to Muslim traditional butchery?……even in the name of our own defense? It’s futile.
John Stefan Obeda says
Inchoate! A great AMEN!! to what you have written. No more Muslims must be permitted to enter our country. They are aliens. They who are here are fifth columnists. And any Muslim that disobeys our laws must be dealt with effectively and perhaps quickly be deported. Islam is an enemy to democracy and free speech and free expression.
Defcon 4 says
Looks like Lurch is looking for a hug, but Karzai ain’t obliging.