U.S. Afghanistan Envoy Offered Harsh Assessment of Karzai
"President Karzai is not an adequate strategic partner," Eikenberry wrote in a cable to his superiors on November 6th. "The proposed counterinsurgency strategy assumes an Afghan political leadership that is both able to take responsibility and to exert sovereignty in the furtherance of our goal — a secure, peaceful, minimally self-sufficient Afghanistan hardened against transnational terrorist groups."
"Yet Karzai continues to shun responsibility for any sovereign burden, whether defense, governance or development," he continued. "He and much of his circle do not want the U.S. to leave and are only too happy to see us invest further. They assume we covet their territory for a never-ending 'war on terror' and for military bases to use against surrounding powers."
Breaking with top American and NATO commander in Afghanistan Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, Eikenberry also argued that adding U.S. troops will make things worse. President Obama ultimately decided to send an additional 30,000 troops to the country.
"Sending additional forces will delay the day when Afghans will take over, and make it difficult, if not impossible, to bring our people home on a reasonable timetable," he wrote. "An increased U.S. and foreign role in security and governance will increase Afghan dependence, at least in the short-term."
Eikenberry is a former Army lieutenant general and previously served as the U.S. military commander in Afghanistan. His cables were given to the Times by an unnamed official who the newspaper reports "said it was important for the historical record that Mr. Eikenberry's detailed assessments be made public, given that they were among the most important documents produced during the debate that led to the troop buildup."
The fact that Eikenberry had concerns about Karzai and a troop buildup became public last year, during Mr. Obama's protracted review of the best way forward in Afghanistan, but the cables reflect for the first time how strongly he made his case. The ambassador has since said he supports the troop buildup and that his concerns were addressed, though, as the Times notes, "it is not clear what might have changed about his assessment of President Karzai as a reliable partner."