In response to newly published photos of U.S. troops happily manipulating the remains of dead Afghans, President Hamid Karzai said Thursday that an accelerated withdrawal of Western troops must take place in order to avoid such “inhumane and provocative” acts.
In a statement issued by presidential palace less than 24 hours after the Los Angeles Times released the images, Karzai said demanded an “accelerated and full transition of security responsibilities to Afghan forces, so Afghanistan can take over its own destiny, and thus no such things can be repeated by the foreign forces in Afghanistan.”
The release controversy comes at a time when the Obama administration is losing its grip on the war. The last few months have held a number of high-profile failures and embarrassments, including a video depicting U.S. soldiers urinating on Afghan corpses, the U.S. Army’s burning of Muslim holy books that sparked country-wide protests and violence and an unprovoked slaughter of 17 Afghan civilians. Then, last weekend the insurgency began its aggressive spring offensive with spectacular coordinated attacks across the country.
Public support for the war is at an all-time low and some nations with troops on the ground in Afghanistan, like France and Australia, have announced they will be drawing down their troops up to a year before the official withdrawal date at the end of 2014.
Also Thursday, the Taliban, issued a statement on the photos, denouncing the “gruesome acts” of U.S. soldiers. American commentators have excused largely the soldiers’ behavior, but one can imagine how angry and horrified they would be if the Taliban released similar photos.
The fact that the war is lost is virtually accepted wisdom at this point. Accepting a weak, corrupt Afghan government that will have to welcome Taliban rule in some capacity is readily admitted. “It’s up to the Taliban, and other adversaries of the new order in Afghanistan,” said U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, “whether they will reconcile with it or be part of it, or whether they will continue to fight.”
It looks like Karzai's finalised his retirement arrangements, because without those US bodyguards he would survive about as long as a chocolate coffee pot.
Karzai is engaged in kabuki politics. Like every puppet he has to play the patriot while obeying the orders of the Empire. His denunciations of the US are just empty words. And the Empire allows him those words because they make him a more effective puppet.
It is like the old cartoon showing two "adversaries" sitting across a negotiating table shaking one fist in the air at one another while shaking hands underneath the table.
"…that an accelerated withdrawal of Western troops must take place in order to avoid such “inhumane and provocative” acts…" for which the Afghan security forces will then be responsible. I mean, if you're going to perform “inhumane and provocative” acts then at least keep it within the home team.
Does any of this shake the confidence of Obama lovers in his good judgment on where, when and how to take military action?
Probably NOT – the reelection of Barack HUSSEIN Obama will be proof positive that the American people are the dumbest most stupid brain dead on planet Earth.
Sounds like another one who has conveniently forgotten who started the little misadventure in Afghanistan…as well as the large block of politicians in the House and Senate who want to continue funding this foolishness.
Capt. Michael Braden died Wednesday, April 16 at Baghram, Afghanistan. Curious that no branch of service or cause of death was mentioned in the DoD release.