Trading Blame: Nations Agree Afghan War Failure Someone Else’s Fault

Afghanistan Blames Pakistan, Pakistan Blames US

With the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the occupation of Afghanistan shining an unwelcome spotlight on the failures of the conflict, nations are showing surprising unity in their comments. They all agree someone is to blame – its just not them.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai was quick to admit to broad security failures in the nation, saying that the lack of security was the “greatest shortcoming” of the conflict. He also insisted it was Pakistan’s fault and no improvement was possible until Pakistan tackled the militants that “operate freely” on their side of the border.

Pakistan agree that the security situation was a disaster, but Senate Foreign Affairs Committee chair Salin Saifullah insisted that it was the US threats to Pakistan and constant scapegoating that was keeping the situation so volatile.

Of course US officials have spent the past several years being outspoken in blaming the Pakistani government and the Karzai government for failing to turn a decade of US-led occupation into a land of milk and honey. At the same time they continue to dish out blame, the administration continues to claim “progress” in the conflict.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.