US Ambassador to Afghanistan and former military commander Karl Eikenberry today angrily condemned President Hamid Karzai for criticism of the ongoing NATO occupation of Afghanistan, saying it was unacceptable to call them “occupiers.”
Eikenberry’s comments, made at Herat University, included a warning that “when we hear ourselves being called occupiers and worse, and our generous aid programs dismissed as totally ineffective and the source of all corruption, our pride is offended and we begin to lose our inspiration to carry on,” suggesting the US might end the war if such offense continued.
Karzai has been critical of the large numbers of civilians killed during the occupation, and while the warning that doing so might end that occupation sounds downright absurd on the surface, Karzai’s position as ruler is largely at the pleasure of NATO, making the threat a serious one to him personally.
Eikenberry went on to say that Karzai’s criticisms of the killings were “hurtful and inappropriate” to him personally, and to the American people in general. Eikenberry will be replaced by Ryan Crocker as ambassador soon.
If that's all it takes, then I say, "Please, Mr. Karzai, continue by all means!"
The bombassador's comments are surreal. It only hurts when one laughs.
First off Eikie-baby. we ARE occupiers, in case you haven't had your head out of your butt lately…
2nd, the taxpayer's "aid" to support the corrupt puppet government of Afghanistan and which a large portion no doubt is going into private personal accounts under Karzai's name in some Swiss or Dubai account IS totally ineffective and IS the source of all the corruption. And we SHOULD stop all of these taxpayer handouts BECAUSE they are a waste and could be put to much better use here in the US.
And if the truth hurts you so badly then leave… now. They won't miss you and neither will we.
Not to mention the aid money coming back to US corporation. The whole Afghan project is a big US tax-payer funded subsidy to MIC and all the contractors/subcontractors making all the mony. Just imagine getting $250K per year for providing a single language translator.
"…Karzai’s criticisms of the killings were “hurtful and inappropriate” to him personally, and to the American people in general."….
Hurtful to the American people? American people… oh, how they suffer daily… with every bomb dropped on Afganistan and every drone attack decimating innocent! The same for Iraq and many nations before and after. What a f….. arrogance!!!
What else could you call them?
Does Eikenberry remind anyone else of Jeff Foxworthy doing his "She's Got a Boyfriend" routine?
"Eikenberry’s comments, made at Herat University, included a warning that “when we hear ourselves being called occupiers and worse, and our generous aid programs dismissed as totally ineffective and the source of all corruption, our pride is offended and we begin to lose our inspiration to carry on,”
Please do be offended and leave.., your money have blood stain all over it, second these money are stolen money, its American peoples money.., beside all that money that given to other country helps your US war machinery and comes back paying to buy useless stuff.., So please be offended again and leave you are a occupier so as your friends NATO.
WTF……. If not occupiers. then WHAT……
Wow. Not only does Karsai have to let foreigners into his country to kill his people. But now he's told that he has to like it and express proper gratitude to the killers.
Bet Eikie baby went to one of those elite fraternities where he had to say "Thank you sir, may I have another." Now he's telling Karsai he has to do the same.
Hey, spade! You're a…. spade.
Occupiers? – invaders? – how about idiots and morons who have failed to read History that details how for thousands of years Afghanistan has well earned the reputation as "the graveyard of soldiers and of empires".
IF not so that Big Oil can build a gas pipeline through that country – why exactly are we wasting lives and dollars in that God foresaken land?
"Hurtful and inappropriate." Kinda like bombing runs on civilians, huh?
Amazing, ignorance at the highest level
Please, would someone send Eikenberry a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary. He should find that a nation that invades another country and continues its presence in that land until things are what the invading country wants to see is call an OCCUPIER. The USA and Israel are the two flagrant occupiers of lands today and the UK and France are on the doorsteps of becoming the same. When will countries learn to keep their noses out of other country's business.
Karzai,s comment is correct but from an agent is not acceptable.
Afghans are dying like insects in their country.
You want to kill for money or so called aid. Normal man is dying of hunger how generous are americans?
They have lossed their credibility around the world and history has proved to be true. Afghanistan is a graveyard for invaders.