Petraeus strikes back at Karzai ahead of major NATO conference on Afghanistan
鈥� A daily summary of global reports on security issues.
A day after Afghanistan鈥檚 president stridently criticized United States military tactics in Afghanistan, the US general in charge of international troops there has hit back. Gen. David Petraeus told officials Sunday that President Hamid Karzai鈥檚 remarks threaten to undermine the war in Afghanistan.
The war of words puts the differences between Mr. Karzai and the US in sharp focus just days before the Obama administration will present its plan for transferring security responsibilities from coalition soldiers to the Afghan military and security forces. It also comes as 30,000 additional US soldiers have recently arrived in Afghanistan as part of a new US strategy there.
Meanwhile, reports that five NATO soldiers were killed in clashes with insurgents Sunday, while reports nine security guards and an Afghan police officer were killed Monday in a Taliban rocket attack. This is already the deadliest year for foreign troops in the nine-year Afghanistan war, with 645 international troops killed, according to .
Karzai鈥檚 criticism of the US military, made during an interview with , was published Sunday. He said that the US must reduce its operations in Afghanistan, and he particularly criticized how US Special Operations conduct nighttime raids on Afghan homes. He told the paper that the long-term presence of coalition forces in Afghanistan would make the situation worse, and troops should stay on their bases and be less intrusive.
"The time has come to reduce military operations," he told the Post. "The time has come to reduce the presence of, you know, boots in Afghanistan ... to reduce the intrusiveness into the daily Afghan life."
General Petraeus responded the same day, telling Afghan officials that Karzai鈥檚 comments risked making his position 鈥渦ntenable,鈥� and he expressed 鈥渁stonishment and disappointment,鈥� reports the Post. Petraeus considers the night raids key to counterinsurgency strategy, and, the Post reports in a , 鈥渒ey to his hopes of being able to show significant progress when the White House reviews the situation in Afghanistan next month.鈥�
"I think it's [Karzai's] directness that really sticks in the craw," another NATO official said. "He is standing 180 degrees to what is a central tenet of our current campaign plan."
"It's pretty clear that you no longer have a reliable partner in Kabul," the official added. "I think we tried to paper it over with [Karzai's] Washington visit" in May. "But the wheels have been becoming looser and looser ... since that."
reports that two US senators also voiced strong disapproval of Karzai鈥檚 assessment. Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona said "Hamid Karzai is reflecting his desire to survive, also a degree of paranoia,鈥� while Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina said he was 鈥渟tunned.鈥�
reports that NATO officials thought they had received assurances that Karzai supported the coalition鈥檚 strategy, although the Post quotes officials in Washington who said the remarks are 鈥渘ot a surprise.鈥� Karzai has criticized the night raids before.
Karzai鈥檚 spokesman, attempting to downplay the remarks, said they did not represent a critique of 鈥渙verall strategy鈥� and that Karzai has been 鈥渧ery clear about his confidence in Gen. Petraeus,鈥� reports the AP.
reports that the US plan to begin transferring security to Afghans, which it will unveil at a two-day NATO conference in Lisbon starting Friday, 鈥渨ill reflect the most concrete vision for transition in Afghanistan assembled by civilian and military officials since President Obama took office last year.鈥�
The president set July 2011 as the date when the transition and withdrawal of US troops will begin, but has lately been emphasizing the 2014 target for complete combat withdrawal.
