A Rough Afghan Trip For U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel laughs with American service members while visiting the Kabul Military Training Center in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 10, 2013. Hagel traveled to Afghanistan on his first trip as the 24th defense secretary to visit U.S. troops, NATO leaders and Afghan counterparts. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

War Of Words Erupts In Afghanistan Over 2014 US Troop Pullout -- NBC

KABUL -- In his opening statement released at the start of his first Afghanistan visit since being named defense secretary, Chuck Hagel reminded everyone, “We are still in a war.” By the time his official visit ended, after a planned joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai was cancelled over “security concerns,” it was clear that war’s second front, the war of words, was as volatile as ever.

The press conference cancellation was announced hours after Karzai had gone on national television with another blast of criticism over the U.S. role here. He said the U.S. and the Taliban were "negotiating daily," and working in concert to ensure that coalition combat forces would remain in Afghanistan beyond the scheduled pullout in 2014. Karzai added that two deadly suicide attacks Saturday—one explosion in Kabul that Hagel actually heard from his safe location more than a mile away—were intended by the Taliban to show that U.S. and coalition forces would not be able to withdraw as planned.

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More News On U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel's Trip To Afghanistan

Hagel meets Karzai after security threats, political friction -- Washington Post/AP
Bombings and rebuke mar Hagel's Afghanistan visit -- AfPak Channel/Foreign Policy
Afghan president lashes out at U.S., straining Hagel visit -- L.A. Times
Karzai Accuses U.S. of Taliban Collusion as Hagel Visits -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Karzai Inflames U.S. Tensions -- Wall Street Journal
Afghan Leader Says U.S. Abets Taliban’s Goal -- New York Times
U.S. and Taliban deny Afghan president's claims -- CBS
US Denies Karzai Allegation Of Conspiring With Tailban To Spur Violence -- RTT
ISAF chief: Karzai claim of U.S., Taliban collusion is 'categorically false' -- CNN
Suicide bomb hits Afghan capital during Hagel's 1st visit as defense secretary -- FOX News
Hagel's Afghan Welcome -- Wall Street Journal
Welcome to Kabul, Secretary Hagel -- Amy Davidson, New Yorker

The Growing Split Between The U.S. And Afghanistan

Afghanistan's Karzai Criticizes U.S., Exposing Tension -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday ratcheted up his criticism of Washington during a visit of the U.S. defense secretary, underscoring tension between allies struggling to stabilize the country ahead of a NATO troop withdrawal.


Karzai accused the United States and the Taliban of colluding to convince Afghans that foreign forces were needed to maintain peace in the country beyond next year, when most foreign combat forces are due to leave.

Then, his government alleged U.S.-led forces and Afghans working with them were abusing and arresting university students and urged them to stop.

Referring to two bomb attacks on Saturday that killed 17 people, Karzai said the blasts were aimed at convincing people that the Taliban would return if U.S. forces withdrew.

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More News On The Growing tensions Betwenn the U.S. And The Afghan Government

Afghan leader alleges US, Taliban are colluding -- AP
Hamid Karzai says US and Taliban sowing post-2014 fears -- BBC
Karzai: Blast shows Taliban 'serving the foreigners' -- CNN
Afghan leader alleges US, Taliban are colluding -- Stars and Stripes
Afghan Taliban and U.S. revive reconciliation talks in Qatar -- Haaretz/Reuters
Karzai says US and Taliban holding Doha talks -- Al Jazeera
Afghan President Karzai says Taliban, US holding talks -- Deutsche Welle

My Comment: It is obvious that Afghan President Karzai does not trust President Obama or U.S. intentions .... and vice versa.

President Obama And Afghan President Karzai Agree To Speed-Up The Transition Of U.S. Troops Into A Support Role

President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai had an animated talk in the Oval Office on Friday. Jason Reed/Reuters

US Troops Will End 'Most' Afghanistan Combat This Spring -- BBC

US troops in Afghanistan will end "most" combat operations this spring, US President Barack Obama and Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai have agreed.

They said US troops were expected to switch to a support role, slightly earlier than originally scheduled, as Afghan forces take the security lead.

The two leaders also backed the holding of talks in Doha, Qatar, between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Most of the 66,000 US troops in Afghanistan are due to leave in 2014.

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More News On Today's Meeting Between President Obama And Afghan President Karzai

Watch live: Barack Obama and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai hold joint press conference -- The Telegraph
Watch Karzai and Obama News Conference Live -- New York Times

U.S. to Accelerate Drawdown in Afghanistan -- Wall Street Journal
U.S. Can Speed Afghan Exit, Obama Says -- New York Times
US troops to move into support role in Afghanistan in the spring, Obama says -- NBC
Obama: From the spring 'troops to have new mission' -- BBC
Obama: U.S. accelerating Afghan military transition -- CBS News
President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai agree to speed the transition of U.S. troops into a support role -- New York Daily News/AP
Obama Says Afghan Forces to Take Lead Security Role in Months -- Bloomberg
Obama: U.S. forces to move to Afghan support role in spring -- Reuters
Obama, Karzai agree to speed up military transition -- USA Today
Obama: U.S. Forces In Afghanistan Will Transition To 'Support' This Spring -- NPR
Obama, Karzai agree to put Afghan forces in lead combat role this spring, earlier than planned -- Washington Post
OBAMA: 'Starting This Spring, Our Troops Will Have A Different Mission' In Afghanistan -- Business Insider
Obama and Karzai discuss Afghan exit plan -- Al Jazeera
Obama, Karzai: U.S. Presence Post-2014 ‘Possible’ -- Defense News/AFP
Obama hedges on U.S. Afghan presence after 2014 -- Washington Times
Obama: Taliban must renounce terrorism for reconciliation -- Reuters

President Obama: The U.S. Has Fallen "Short Of The Ideal" In Afghanistan

Obama: U.S. Has Fallen 'Short of the Ideal' in Afghanistan -- Weekly Standard

In remarks with Afghan president Hamid Karzai at the White House this afternoon, President Barack Obama said the U.S. has fallen "short of the ideal" in Afghanistan:

"So, you know, I think that, have we achieved everything that some might have imagined us achieving in the best of scenarios? Probably not. You know, there's a human enterprise, and you know, you fall short of the ideal," said Obama.

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My Comment: Depressing .... but true .... and the story is still unfolding (and will continue to unfold) long after we have left that forsaken country.

US Secretary Of Defense Panetta: U.S. And Afghanistan Are At The Last Chapter In 'War Aim'

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta hosts an arrival ceremony with full honors to welcome Afghan President Hamid Karzai to the Pentagon, Jan. 10, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

U.S., Afghanistan Have Reached "Last Chapter" In War Aim: Panetta -- Reuters

(Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday that the two countries had reached the "last chapter" in their effort to establish a sovereign Afghanistan that can provide for its own security.

After a formal welcoming ceremony at the Pentagon, Panetta told Karzai that 2013 would mark an important turning point in the war, with Afghan forces due to begin taking the lead role in providing security across the country while coalition troops offered support and training.

"We've come a long way towards a shared goal of establishing a nation that you and we can be proud of, one that never again becomes a safe haven for terrorism," Panetta said in remarks at the start of meetings in his office. "Our partnership, forged ... through almost 11 years of shared sacrifice, is a key to our ability to achieve the final mission."

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More News On Today's Meeting Between US Defense Secretary Panetta And Afghan President Karzai

Pentagon: US, Afghanistan Reach 'Last Chapter' in War -- Voice of America
Panetta says Afghan war in ‘last chapter’; Karzai promises Afghan self-reliance -- Washington Post/AP
'Last chapter' hailed in Afghan security plan -- BBC
US will stand by Afghanistan, Panetta tells Karzai -- AFP
Pentagon Officials Welcome Afghan President for Talks -- US Department of Defense

Top Officials In The Kabul Government Vow To Kill Americans

Photo: Mohammed Ismail Khan, Afghan energy minister, has called for jihad against US forces. Getty images

Afghan Allies -- New York Post

Now even top officials in the Kabul government vow to kill Americans.

“The fate of the Americans in Afghanistan will be worse than that of the Russians,” Mohammed Ismail Khan warned in 2009. The same Afghan is now vowing to drive all “foreigners” out of Afghanistan.

More bluster from a Taliban leader? Hardly. Khan serves as Afghanistan’s energy minister, and is a key member of American ally Hamid Karzai’s cabinet.

In a videotaped meeting last month with jihadists in Herat Province, Khan slammed the US for bringing “American girls, white-skinned Western soldiers and black-skinned American soldiers” into Afghanistan. He called on the “mujahideen” to take up arms and attack them like they did the Soviet “invaders” in the 1980s.

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My Comment: With allies like this, who needs enemies.

Special US Envoy To Afghanistan And Pakistan Calls It Quits

U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman

Special US Envoy to Afghanistan, Pakistan Steps Down -- Voice of America

The U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan is stepping down.

The State Department says Marc Grossman will leave next month to return to private life, and will be replaced by his deputy, David Pearce.

Grossman came out of retirement to take the job early last year, following the sudden death of former envoy Richard Holbrooke.

His tenure has included tense relations between the United States and Pakistan over the issues of drone strikes on Pakistani soil, an American airstrike that mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and the U.S. raid in Abbottabad that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Grossman has also worked to support Afghanistan's peace process and stressed the need for Pakistan to be a part of the reconciliation.

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More News On The U.S. Special Envoy For Afghanistan And Pakistan Stepping Down

Marc Grossman steps down as envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan -- Foreign Policy
Marc Grossman resigning Afghan-Pakistan post -- Washington Post
State Department Af-Pak chief stepping down -- The Cable/Foreign Policy
US special envoy to Pakistan, Afghanistan to leave -- AFP
US envoy to leave Afghanistan-Pakistan post -- Al Jazeera
U.S. Envoy To Pakistan And Afghanistan To Step Down -- Radio Free Europe

Third U.S. Presidential Debate: Little Mention Of Afghanistan

Presidential Debate: With Little Mention Of Afghanistan Or Drones, Obama Avoids Hard Questions -- Huffington Post

President Barack Obama managed to escape Monday night's presidential debate on foreign policy without having to defend either his escalation of the war in Afghanistan or his unprecedented use of drones to attack suspected militants -- including American citizens -- in countries where the U.S. is not technically at war.

In a battle of optics rather than genuine disagreements, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney vaguely accused Obama of weakness, and Obama depicted Romney as flighty.

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More News On Afghanistan In The U.S. Presidential Debate

Romney backs Obama’s plans for ending Afghanistan war by end of 2014 -- Washington Post/AP
Romney, like Obama, supports troops in Afghanistan past 2014 -- The Cable/Foreign Policy
Fact check: Obama, Romney see progress in Afghanistan -- L.A. Times
Presidential Debate Results: Romney Shows Surprising Nuance On Afghanistan -- Policy Mic
Presidential debate: Americans overwhelmingly support Afghanistan withdrawal -- Washington Post

U.S. Republicans Divided On Afghanistan

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Richard G. Deibler uses binoculars to scan the area below from the side door of a UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter during flight operations over Afhanistan's Helmand province, Oct. 17, 2012. Deibler, a door gunner, is assigned to Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 469, Marine Aircraft Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Forward. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Keonaona Paulo

Republicans Growing Conflicted Over Afghanistan, Says Poll -- The E-Ring/Foreign Policy

Once decidedly hawkish, Republicans have grown more divided over whether to leave Afghanistan, according to a new poll released Friday that also shows Democrats overwhelmingly agree with President Obama’s timetable for exiting the war.

Just 2 percent of Democrats polled said that Obama was pulling troops out of Afghanistan “too quickly,” and a significant majority of respondents from the left firmly opposed his committed war policy -- a position backed by NATO -- of removing combat troops over a two-year period while Afghan forces receive more training.

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My Comment: And of those who support the Afghan mission .... that support is mostly soft. Bottom line .... America is fed up with Afghanistan .... and politicians are now feeling the heat.

Afghanistan Wants To Curtail Immunity For U.S. Troops

U.S. Marines begin a patrol near Forward Operating Base Shamsher in the Sangin district in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Sept. 6, 2012. The Marines are assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jason Morrison

Kabul Prepares For U.S. Talks -- Wall Street Journal

Afghanistan Wants New Pact to Curtail American Troops' Immunity, Official Says.

KABUL—Afghanistan's demands to curtail immunity for U.S. forces will be a main stumbling block in negotiations over the long-term American military presence here, Afghan National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta said, highlighting the issue that derailed similar U.S. talks with Iraq a year ago.

Mr. Spanta explained Kabul's negotiating positions in an interview as the lead American negotiator arrived in the Afghan capital for meetings to prepare for the talks on a bilateral security agreement, which are slated to start in the coming days.

At stake is the future of U.S. influence in this strategic region after more than a decade of war—including whether the U.S. will be able to fight al Qaeda and other extremist groups in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan's tribal lands.

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My Comment: By curtailing immunity for U.S. troops .... this will effectively kill any future U.S. involvement in the country. Why the hard-core position from the Afghans .... and now? To me the answer revolves around the realization among many Afghans that U.S./NATO combat troops will be out of the country by the end of 2014. As a result of this departure, the dynamics on the ground are going to change, and so what we are now seeing is a re-positioning of everyone to accommodate this impending power and military vacuum. Is this a smart move on the part of the Afghans .... from my vantage point I will say that in the long term this is the worst decision to take .... but I do know that from their "short term" viewpoint this is probably the best position for them right now.

Afghan President Karzai Has Given Up On U.S. Stratgey To Fight The War

Karzai pledges that he would step down in 2014 in line with the constitution. REUTERS photo

Karzai Accuses U.S. of Duplicity in Fighting Afghan Enemies -- New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, on Thursday accused the United States of playing a “double game” by fighting a war against Afghan insurgents rather than their backers in Pakistan, and by refusing to supply his country with the weapons it needs to fight enemies across the border. He threatened to turn to China, India and Russia for those arms.

He also accused the Western news media of trying to undermine the confidence of the Afghan people by publishing articles suggesting that a civil war and economic collapse might follow the departure of NATO troops at the end of 2014. However, he also promised, using his strongest words to date, that he would step down from the presidency and that there would be an election.

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My Comment: Afghan President Hamid Karzai is starting to sound like a desperate man. As the date for the U.S./NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan comes closer .... we are now starting to see the major players in Afghanistan (and outside) position themselves to maintain their power and influence. As for Karzai .... he has clearly given up on the US strategy to fight their war. As a sign of how bad U.S.-Afghan relations have become, America's response to Karzai's comments comes from US Secretary of Defense Panetta who says .... Panetta says Karzai should thank allied forces.

Wow .... the sarcasm and contempt is just dripping.

Did The Obama Administration Miss A Chance For Peace In Afghanistan

Richard Holbrooke (left) with President Barack Obama Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

‘Little America’: Infighting On Obama Team Squandered Chance For Peace In Afghanistan -- Washington Post

In late March 2010, President Obama’s national security adviser, James L. Jones, summoned Richard C. Holbrooke to the White House for a late-afternoon conversation. The two men rarely had one-on-one meetings, even though Holbrooke, the State Department’s point man for Afghanistan, was a key member of Obama’s war cabinet.

As Holbrooke entered Jones’s West Wing office, he sensed that the discussion was not going to be about policy, but about him. Holbrooke believed his principal mission was to accomplish what he thought Obama wanted: a peace deal with the Taliban. The challenge energized Holbrooke, who had more experience with ending wars than anyone in the administration. In 1968, he served on the U.S. delegation to the Paris peace talks with North Vietnam. And in 1995, he forged a deal in the former Yugoslavia to end three years of bloody sectarian fighting.

The discussion quickly wound to Jones’s main point: He told Holbrooke that he should start considering his “exit strategy” from the administration.

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My Comment: After the election of President Obama, I started to wonder what was the end-game strategy for the White House to end the Afghan war .... more to the point .... how to position themselves to leave Afghanistan but still have in place a viable alternative to the Taliban. I must confess that I was encouraged .... and while President Obama did talk during the campaign of the need to get at the Taliban safe havens in Pakistan .... I was hopeful that he would pursue a more conciliatory policy with the goal of decreasing if not eliminating US forces in the country.

Unfortunately .... that did not happen.

The decision to send in more soldiers (the surge) needed to be followed by up by discussions with allies and certain elements of the Taliban to find some level of understanding to end the war .... but this also did not occur .... and with the tragic death of Richard Holbrooke .... was not pursued as diligently as it should have been.

The Soviets realized an important point during their conflict in Afghanistan .... that as long as the safe havens were permitted to operate in Pakistan, and having Afghan allies that were either corrupt and/or incompetent .... there was no chance of the Red Army being victorious.

The same can be said today. As long as Pakistan permits the safe havens to operate on their territory, and as long as the Kabul government remains corrupt .... the Western effort to defeat the Taliban will also end in eventual defeat.

Richard Holbrooke realized this .... and President Obama appears to also be realizing this .... or at least I hope he is. Either way .... only time will now tell.

What Is The Real Purpose Of The New U.S.-Afghan Security Pact

U.S. Army soldiers pull security during Operation Eagle Mountain in Didar, Afghanistan, April 13, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Marc Loi

One U.S-Afghan Security Pact, Two Very Different Missions -- Danger Room

The U.S. has finally completed an agreement pledging to protect Afghanistan for another decade, even after the vast majority of troops withdraw. (We hate to say we told you so.) But don’t misunderstand. This deal isn’t really about Afghanistan at all.

Or, to be more precise, it’s about way more than Afghanistan. It’s primarily about Pakistan — and the shadow war that the U.S.-Afghan accord will allow Washington to continue waging there.

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My Comment: I have to concur with this analysis. In this agreement there is mention that the U.S. will not use Afghanistan as a platform to strike against another country .... but .... the devil is in the details, and I suspect that there are some exceptions to this rule.

The U.S. Is Locked Into Afghanistan For At Least Another 10 Years

U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, center, talks with U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint command, upon arrival at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, April 22, 2012. Dempsey's visit will focus on progress in Afghanistan’s national security forces. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

On The Hook In Afghanistan For At Least Another Decade -- DoD Buzz

Although there may not be any official word about this until next month, Monday’s story in the New York Times is probably as good as an announcement: The U.S. is locked into Afghanistan for at least another 10 years.

After Kabul takes responsibility for the war next year, Washington will continue to fund, train and assist the Afghan National Security Forces as a “supportive ally,” the Times reported, though there are few details yet beyond that basic commitment. The American and NATO officials quoted (anonymously) in the story painted it as a victory: It’ll send a message to the Afghans that they’re not being abandoned; tell the Taliban it can’t wait out the international coalition; and signal Iran and Pakistan that the U.S. is not going to just pick up its marbles and go home — again.

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My Comment: No photo-op. No pictures. No public announcements. No comments from Congress or the White House. Just the wired services caring this basic story and some basic details.

Where is the anti-war movement? Where are the politicians and pundits who voiced their opposition for years over the war? Where is the media? Academia? Anyone?

My prediction .... expect the Taliban to ramp-up their tactics and attacks.

U.S. And Afghanistan Reach Agreement On A Long Term Strategic Partnership Agreement After 2014

U.S. Army Spc. Tyler Noyes patrols with fellow soldiers during Operation Marble Lion in Afghanistan's Jani Khel district, April 12, 2012. Noyes is a medic assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Jason Epperson

Afghanistan, US Finalize Strategic Partnership Agreement -- Voice of America

Afghanistan and the United States have finalized a strategic partnership agreement outlining their relationship following the 2014 withdrawal of Western combat troops from the country.

A statement from Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office says the draft agreement was initialed Sunday by Afghan National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta and U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker during a ceremony in Kabul. The agreement is now ready to be signed by U.S. President Barack Obama and Mr. Karzai.

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More News On The U.S. - Afghan Strategic Partnership Agreement After 2014

Afghanistan, U.S. reach pact on post-2014 American support -- Washington Post
US, Afghanistan agree in private to long-term partnership -- Christian Science Monitor
Kabul, U.S. Agree on Support Deal for Next Few Years -- Wall Street Journal
US, Afghanistan reach partnership deal -- Sydney Morning Herald
U.S., Afghanistan Draft Pact for American Role After 2014 -- Bloomberg Businessweek
U.S., Afghan officials initial proposal on future ties -- CNN
Afghanistan and U.S. agree on strategic pact text -- MSNBC/Reuters

My Comment: Bottom line .... this agreement means 10 more years for a U.S. presence/commitment to Afghanistan.

Afghan President Karzai: The Americans In Afghanistan Are “Demons.”

Gulf Widens Between U.S. And A More Volatile Karzai -- New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Americans in Afghanistan are “demons.”

They claim they burned Korans by mistake, but really those were “Satanic acts that will never be forgiven by apologies.”

The massacre of 16 Afghan children, women and men by an American soldier “was not the first incident, indeed it was the 100th, the 200th and 500th incident.”

Such harsh talk may sound as if it comes from the Taliban, but those are all remarks either made personally by the United States’ increasingly hostile ally here, President Hamid Karzai, or issued by his office in recent days and weeks.

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My Comment: What's my take .... ignoring Karzai's rhetoric .... Spiegel Online sums up what many are now thinking.

U.S. Faces Growing Public Weariness About Afghan War

President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai from his vehicle outside the Jane E. Lawton Community Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Sunday, March 11, 2012. The President called to express his shock and sadness over the reported killing of Afghan civilians. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Amid Anger Over Afghan Killings, U.S. Faces Growing Public Weariness About War -- Washington Post

The massacre of at least 16 Afghan civilians, apparently by an American soldier, forced the Obama administration Sunday to confront yet another nightmare from the war zone and fresh evidence that patience back home is increasingly wearing thin.

A majority of Americans — 55 percent — believe that most Afghans are opposed to what the United States is trying to accomplish in that country, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. About as many Americans — 54 percent — want the U.S. military to withdraw even before it can train the Afghan army to be self-sufficient, a pillar of President Obama’s war strategy.

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Update: The Coming Upheaval in U.S. Afghanistan Strategy -- National Journal

My Comment: This massacre will probably have a greater impact on changing American views towards the Afghan war than Afghans rioting over some burned Korans. When you have a married father of two decide to leave a base at 3:00 AM to go to a village and massacre children .... an American soldier that has served 3 deployments to Iraq and one (this one being his first one) to Afghanistan .... an American soldier who has obviously seen and experienced war for a few years .... incidents like this one must .... and should make us question our strategy and purpose for what you are doing .... because regardless of what the politicians and generals say .... there is a problem.

What's my take of this weekend's massacre .... in times like this I always remember what my father told me when he reflected on his World War II experience. He was on the Russian front for almost four years, and while he served in artillery .... he (of course) experienced many close calls and severe combat .... especially in the last push into Germany. But even with all the horrors that he experienced, what was the worse for him was after the war was over and he found himself pressed into a special unit to hunt down Soviet soldiers who could not stop killing .... that for matters of revenge or insanity .... they just could not stop themselves from killing Germans even though the war was over. Is this the same case with this American soldier .... I do not know .... but I do know that sustain heavy combat will impact a soldier's psychology and mindset, and this is a problem that the US will have to face long after this war is over.

Afghan President Karzai: We Will Support Pakistan In A Conflict With The U.S.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during a news conference in Kabul October 20, 2011. REUTERS/Omar Sobhan

Afghanistan To Back Pakistan If Wars With U.S.: Karzai -- MSNBC

ISLAMABAD — Afghanistan would support Pakistan in case of military conflict between Pakistan and the United States, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in an interview to a private Pakistani TV channel broadcast on Saturday.

The remarks were in sharp contrast to recent tension between the two neighbors over cross-border raids, and Afghan accusations that Pakistan was involved in killing the chief Afghan peace envoy, former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, by a suicide bomber on September 20.

"God forbid, If ever there is a war between Pakistan and America, Afghanistan will side with Pakistan," he said in the interview to Geo television.

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My Comment: And this guy is our ally?!?!?!?! I understand that he is pandering to a Pakistani audience .... but still. One more reason to look for the exits.

Afghan President Karzai Gets A Rebuke From The U.S.

US Gives Karzai A Rare Dressing Down Over 'Occupation' Rhetoric -- The Independent

Straying beyond the normal boundaries of diplomatic nicety, the American Ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, delivered a sharp verbal slap to President Hamid Karzai yesterday for his criticism of Nato's operations in his country implying that the US was becoming weary of it.

While Mr Eikenberry, who was delivering an address at Herat University, did not mention Mr Karzai by name, there was no doubting whom he was castigating. His remarks came one day after a speech by Mr Karzai in which he said the Nato countries were in his country "for their own purposes".

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My Comment: On the one hand .... Karzai did cross a certain line. On the other hand, U.S. forces have overstayed in Afghanistan, and we are losing support among the few Afghans who still want us to stay in their country.

Meet The Man Who Is The "Go-Between" For Afghan President Karzai And The White House

President Hamid Karzai chats with President Barack Obama during the start of the dinner at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 28. Pete Souza / The White House

CIA Man Is Key to U.S. Relations With Karzai -- Wall Street Journal

The Obama administration has turned to the Central Intelligence Agency's station chief in Afghanistan to troubleshoot Washington's precarious relationship with President Hamid Karzai, propelling the undercover officer into a critical role normally reserved for diplomats and military chiefs.

The station chief has become a pivotal behind-the-scenes power broker in Kabul, according to U.S. officials as well as current and former diplomats and military figures. In April, when Mr. Karzai lashed out against his Western partners, it was the station chief who was tapped by the White House to calm the Afghan president.

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My Comment: When both leaders must rely on the CIA Chief for fostering a relationship, that is when you know that you have a problem.