WASHINGTON: A senior White House official has said US President Barack Obama is calling on his national security team to revise the options for the war strategy in Afghanistan.
The president’s call for revision comes as US Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry expressed serious reservations about sending additional troops to the country. Eikenberry is a retired army general who commanded US forces in Afghanistan from 2005-2007. Officials say Eikenberry sent two classified cables to Washington last week expressing doubts about Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s erratic behavior and corruption within his government.
Eikenberry’s misgivings center on a concern that bolstering the American presence in Afghanistan could make the country more reliant on the US. US diplomats say they have seen no sign the Afghan president plans to address the problems they have raised repeatedly with him. The White House announced this week the president had so far rejected all options offered by his national security advisers, and Eikenberry’s dramatic intervention at the 11th hour will only stir up the debate over additional troop reinforcements.
Eikenberry’s comments are also in direct opposition to the views of his successor, current US and NATO commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who wants up to 40,000 more troops as soon as possible. On Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton entered the fray, saying the US is concerned about corruption and poor governance in Afghanistan and has raised those issues with Karzai.
Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have previously backed a major increase in US forces to drive the Taleban from populated areas and provide Afghan security forces and the government an opportunity to snuff out corruption and undertake development projects. The leaking of Eikenberry’s reservations about government corruption also comes at a sensitive stage in Obama’s relationship with Kabul.
Eikenberry is said to have questioned Karzai’s suitability as a long-term strategic partner because of widespread corruption in his first administration and the presence of warlords and drug smugglers in positions of influence.
Wednesday’s White House meeting lasted for over two hours and was Obama’s eighth session in two months on the subject.
Meanwhile, US public opinion polls on Afghanistan show wavering support.
One by the Pew Research Center put Obama’s favorable job rating on Afghanistan at 36 percent, sharply down from 49 percent in July.
Source: Arab News
The president’s call for revision comes as US Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry expressed serious reservations about sending additional troops to the country. Eikenberry is a retired army general who commanded US forces in Afghanistan from 2005-2007. Officials say Eikenberry sent two classified cables to Washington last week expressing doubts about Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s erratic behavior and corruption within his government.
Eikenberry’s misgivings center on a concern that bolstering the American presence in Afghanistan could make the country more reliant on the US. US diplomats say they have seen no sign the Afghan president plans to address the problems they have raised repeatedly with him. The White House announced this week the president had so far rejected all options offered by his national security advisers, and Eikenberry’s dramatic intervention at the 11th hour will only stir up the debate over additional troop reinforcements.
Eikenberry’s comments are also in direct opposition to the views of his successor, current US and NATO commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who wants up to 40,000 more troops as soon as possible. On Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton entered the fray, saying the US is concerned about corruption and poor governance in Afghanistan and has raised those issues with Karzai.
Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have previously backed a major increase in US forces to drive the Taleban from populated areas and provide Afghan security forces and the government an opportunity to snuff out corruption and undertake development projects. The leaking of Eikenberry’s reservations about government corruption also comes at a sensitive stage in Obama’s relationship with Kabul.
Eikenberry is said to have questioned Karzai’s suitability as a long-term strategic partner because of widespread corruption in his first administration and the presence of warlords and drug smugglers in positions of influence.
Wednesday’s White House meeting lasted for over two hours and was Obama’s eighth session in two months on the subject.
Meanwhile, US public opinion polls on Afghanistan show wavering support.
One by the Pew Research Center put Obama’s favorable job rating on Afghanistan at 36 percent, sharply down from 49 percent in July.
Source: Arab News
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