Karzai wants US to 'reduce operations'

[JackRiddler]

Source: AFP via Sydney Morning Herald

Afghan President Hamid Karzai says the United States must reduce the visibility and intensity of its military operations in Afghanistan, The Washington Post has reported.

The United States should end special operations forces raids that aggravate Afghans and could exacerbate the Taliban insurgency, Karzai said in an interview with the Post on Saturday. "The time has come to reduce military operations," the president told the paper.

"The time has come to reduce the presence of, you know, boots in Afghanistan ... to reduce the intrusiveness into the daily Afghan life." Karzai also said he wanted US troops off the roads and out of Afghan homes and that the long-term presence of so many foreign soldiers would only worsen the war, the Post reported.

However, a unnamed NATO military official expressed skepticism in comments to the paper.

SNIP

Read more: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/karzai-wants-us-to-reduce-operations-20101114-17sit.html

---

Why can't Mr. NATO put his name to his skepticism?

Time to get out.

[JackRiddler]

1. Washington Post (original source)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/13/AR2010111304001.html

KABUL- President Hamid Karzai said on Saturday that the United States must reduce the visibility and intensity of its military operations in Afghanistan and end the increased U.S. Special Operations forces night raids that aggravate Afghans and could exacerbate the Taliban insurgency.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Karzai said that he wanted American troops off the roads and out of Afghan homes and that the long-term presence of so many foreign soldiers would only worsen the war. His comments placed him at odds with U.S. commander Gen. David H. Petraeus, who has made capture-and-kill missions a central component of his counterinsurgency strategy, and who claims the 30,000 new troops have made substantial progress in beating back the insurgency. "The time has come to reduce military operations," Karzai said. "The time has come to reduce the presence of, you know, boots in Afghanistan . . . to reduce the intrusiveness into the daily Afghan life."

Karzai's comments come as American officials are playing down the importance of July 2011 - the date President Obama set to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan - in favor of a combat mission ending in 2014. The Afghan president has placed himself squarely in favor of a lighter military footprint as the administration reviews the progress of the Afghan war and debate intensifies about the pace of the withdrawal. Karzai says his troops are ready to take more responsibility for their own security.

In an hour-long interview with Post reporters and editors in his office in Kabul, Karzai said he was speaking out not to criticize the United States but in the belief that candor could improve what he called a "grudging" relationship between the countries. He described his own deep skepticism with American policy in Afghanistan - from last year's presidential election, which he said was manipulated by U.S. officials, to his conviction that government corruption has been caused by billions of American dollars funneled to unaccountable contractors. And he said Afghans have lost patience with the presence of American soldiers in their homes and armored vehicles on their roads.

SNIP

Anyone doubt that in this case, Karzai speaks truth? Even Karzai must say it.

Get the hell out of this carnage.

[Old and In the Way]

3. Sounds suspiciously like Nouri al-Maliki...

another head of state that didn't appreciate all the liberation we were giving them.

[Kolesar]

5. Karzai's speech might be intended for domestic consumption only

While he also asks for US$ to keep his economy running.

I don't know who to believe. Petraus says we are making progress. Ok, maybe 1% of the "progress" we need to make.

[saigon68]

33. Betrayus = War Criminal

[Judi Lynn]

7. Who could really condemn his comments? From the article you've posted:

~snip~
He said he wants American troops off the roads and out of Afghan homes and that the long-term presence of so many foreign soldiers will only make the war worse.

"I don't like it in any manner and the Afghan people don't like these raids in any manner," Karzai said. "We don't like raids in our homes. This is a problem between us and I hope this ends as soon as possible. ... Terrorism is not invading Afghan homes and fighting terrorism is not being intrusive in the daily Afghan life."

~~~~~
How can people not go mad living in these conditions? Jeez.

[qazplm]

22. I doubt anything Karzai says to be honest

yes, he may have stumbled into the truth about the need for us to leave but not for the reasons he proposes.

From his own personal protection point of view, it's probably dumb to get us to leave, I personally don't think that guy lives two years after we go.

[JackRiddler]

35. Don't be so sure getting the US out isn't his best shot at survival.

He's looking to me more like Ngo Dinh Diem every day.

[NuclearDem]

2. And the US reply is...

Nahhhh, we're good, thanks.

[24601]

6. The answer is that we would love to leave and preserve the

treasure of our Soldiers (& Sailors, Airmen, Marines, civilians, etc) lives' and reduce the burden on taxpayers & future taxpayers. Just sign here certifying that you have the capability and will to ensure the Taliban doesn't replace you, return Afghanistan to those wonderful 14th Century values, and invite their Al Qaeda friends to return and enjoy a safe haven.

We'll skip little things like your own corruption issues - over time your own people will smoke you and your successors out.

Oh, yes, one more thing we learned from the recent recession - please get a co-signer 1st world nation willing to put it all on the line that your guarantees are good.

[obxhead]

10. All of those things will happen anyway

"Just sign here certifying that you have the capability and will to ensure the Taliban doesn't replace you, return Afghanistan to those wonderful 14th Century values, and invite their Al Qaeda friends to return and enjoy a safe haven."

Afghanistan will return to its past unstable, violent, and corrupt government once we leave.

It doesn't matter if we leave today or in 100 years.

The same goes for Iraq for that matter. Iraq was a bit different though. Their government was far more stable and under our thumb when we invaded it. Violent and brutal yes, but far more stable.

[24601]

11. The most critical element is that President Obama can't let it turn

into an Al Qaeda safe haven once again. He does this and he, and we, are irreversibly screwed. Nobody said this was an easy job.

edit 4 speling

[JackRiddler]

14. The globe is an "al qaeda" safe haven.

The phantom cannot be found.

[obxhead]

15. You are being fooled if you believe that will not happen

regardless of what Obama or any other President does to try and stop that from happening.

There is 3000+ years of history to the area that shows how futile an effort it is for outsiders to change the region.

Even if the magical dream of a stable and "Al Qaeda" free Afghanistan were reached it would just redevelop somewhere else. Personally I feel we are better equipped to deal with an enemy when we know where they are coming from, not guessing where their new stronghold is.

[qazplm]

23. well the problem is

if it does, guess who gets blamed by the American public?

3000+ years of history, or Obama and the Democrats?

[obxhead]

26. So let me get this exactly straight.

The lives of innocent Afghan and Iraqi people means less than Obama's reelection. The lives of our soldiers mean less than an Obama reelection. The monetary debt incurred mean less than an Obama reelection. The world view on America and therefore us as Americans mean less than an Obama reelection.

The reelection of Obama means more than stopping the senseless crusade of the Bush administration.

While Obama has done some good for our country I will not concede any of the above things just so Obama doesn't look bad or weak on terra and lose an election.

Sorry, that's not the kind of change I voted for.

[qazplm]

31. then dont vote for him again

vote for someone else.

[obxhead]

32. That may be my choice, it may not.

I'll make the decision when the time comes.

I just wanted to make certain that Obama winning reelection was so much more important than all the things I mentioned.

[24601]

27. Yep, if you're in the job, you get the both credit and the blame for

whatever happens.

Can't say I've seen a DU groundswell blaming 9-11 on 3000+ years of history?

[obxhead]

28. You are correct.

Bush was at fault for 9-11 and the blame is properly placed there. You could also pin blame on the last 50 years of our involvement in the middle east as well.

However, if you read my post a bit further down you'll find many reasons why Obama being reelected is far less important than ending the US induced violence in the middle east.

the 3000+ years of history simply sets the precedent that no matter how hard we fight, how many we kill, and who we put in charge Afghanistan will return to what it will be. No amount of US involvement will make the people of Afghanistan build their country into anything they don't want.

I voted for change in 2008, not a 4 year compromise in the hopes that enough can be held together to possibly create change in 2012-2016.

[davidinalameda]

34. we can always go back and bomb them

drive the terrorists into the hills and wait until they come out and bomb them again

sort of like roaches

[daleo]

36. 100 more years ought to take care of it

Certainly no more than 1000.

[Jackpine Radical]

13. Iraq was also a part of the modern world,

a relatively secular state with many western-educated people, advanced technology, etc.

None of those things are true of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is where empires go to die.

[obxhead]

16. I agree.

If we don't find a way to declare victory and flee Afghanistan/Iraq we will lose everything. By trying to "save" us from terra terra terra we are destroying everything this country stands for and any way for a real recovery.

I feel the window of time to get out and save the US a century of depression repaying the debt of these wars is closing very quickly, if it hasn't already gone past the point of no return.

[Jackpine Radical]

18. It's worse than that.

We're depleting ourselves of the resources that will be needed to face global physical and social changes of a magnitude never before experienced.

[obxhead]

19. At a rate some predicted, but many still try to hide. nt

[Jackpine Radical]

20. Yes, we're far beyond the point of no return.

The question as far as I'm concerned is whether we can kill off the cancer of corporatism before it kills off the biosphere.

What is a cancer? It is a mass of cells that have lost their regulatory mechanisms, leaving them to grow and reproduce unchecked until they ultimately destroy the life functions of the host body.

[ronnie624]

29. The chaos in Afghanistan,

is mostly a result of foreign intervention, in my opinion. The U.S. has been a central player. In declassified documents, the CIA comments on the damage that would be done to Afghan civil society by deliberately provoking the Soviet Union into invading. The foreign policy planners of the day, considered "some stirred-up Moslims" a fair price for giving the USSR its "Vietnam". I guess they didn't examine all of the possible outcomes of their decisions.

[NuclearDem]

30. Fair enough

I was actually just being sarcastic, but that's actually what I would hope our response would be too. :fistbump:

[Thornleylv]

4. So sorry

Have a nice revolution, see ya

:kick:

[BootinUp]

8. Must mean something is working.

Only logical reason for this type of statement.

[Jackpine Radical]

21. "Working?"

WTF does "working" even mean in a context like Afghanistan?

[ProudDad]

24. Yep, "working"

the heroin supply is still very robust...

USAmerican war profiteers are enjoying another very good year...

Jingoist, war mongering politicians are getting elected...

The Ponzi Scheme "stock market" pump and dump operation is on the upswing...

The war machine's gotten a nice bump this year...again...

What's not to like?

[dkofos]

9. Time to get out.

Just look at it as deficit reduction.

[grahamhgreen]

12. Funny, so do the American people!!!

[Gin]

17. first...quit protecting his crooked ass....let him go it alone with

his own security forces and no American money..then send our troops home...

[ProudDad]

25. Memo to Obama

I'll tell you the same thing I told Lyndon, Tricky Dick and bush I...

Advice that oddly enough has only been followed, and only one time, by that execrable waste of skin ronny ray-gun (in Lebanon)...

It's easy...you just sail the ships over there, load up the troops and bring 'em home...

What's so hard to understand about that?