Afghan mission unified: US envoy
Source: Agencies |
June 25, 2010, Friday
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THE United States ambassador to Afghanistan pledged yesterday to move forward in a unified mission with General David Petraeus after the ousting of General Stanley McChrystal as the top commander in the war.
President Barack Obama announced on Wednesday that he was replacing McChrystal as the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan following a Rolling Stone magazine article in which McChrystal and his aides were dismissive of the US administration.
"The United States cannot allow diversions to prevent us from carrying out our mission with unity of purpose," Eikenberry told Afghan journalists. "Our president felt that a change was needed to maintain that unity of purpose and so he made that change. He told us that it is time for us to come together and that's what we are going to do."
Eikenberry and McChrystal clashed publicly over strategy in Afghanistan during the time they led the civilian and military sides of the US mission in the country. In the Rolling Stone article, McChrystal said he felt betrayed when Eikenberry wrote a memo suggesting that the effort was doomed as long as President Hamid Karzai continued as the country's leader.
But the US ambassador commended McChrystal yesterday.
"Stan and I have known each other for a very long time, and worked shoulder-to-shoulder here together under very difficult circumstances over this past year. He was an excellent partner," Eikenberry said. He said he had not read the Rolling Stone article.
Eikenberry said he was confident that Petraeus, who has been deeply involved in creating and implementing the Afghan strategy, would be able to take up the new post without losing momentum.
"We continue to have a very clear goal. We are going to break the Taliban's momentum. We are going to build Afghan capacity, especially in the area of your army and your police," Eikenberry said. He declined to comment on his relationship with Karzai, which has appeared strained since his criticism of the leader. He did say that he met with Karzai earlier yesterday.
McChrystal has described a plan to create a "rising tide of security" in southern Taliban strongholds that would win over the civilian population, and NATO commanders have said the next few months will be key to success.
President Barack Obama announced on Wednesday that he was replacing McChrystal as the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan following a Rolling Stone magazine article in which McChrystal and his aides were dismissive of the US administration.
"The United States cannot allow diversions to prevent us from carrying out our mission with unity of purpose," Eikenberry told Afghan journalists. "Our president felt that a change was needed to maintain that unity of purpose and so he made that change. He told us that it is time for us to come together and that's what we are going to do."
Eikenberry and McChrystal clashed publicly over strategy in Afghanistan during the time they led the civilian and military sides of the US mission in the country. In the Rolling Stone article, McChrystal said he felt betrayed when Eikenberry wrote a memo suggesting that the effort was doomed as long as President Hamid Karzai continued as the country's leader.
But the US ambassador commended McChrystal yesterday.
"Stan and I have known each other for a very long time, and worked shoulder-to-shoulder here together under very difficult circumstances over this past year. He was an excellent partner," Eikenberry said. He said he had not read the Rolling Stone article.
Eikenberry said he was confident that Petraeus, who has been deeply involved in creating and implementing the Afghan strategy, would be able to take up the new post without losing momentum.
"We continue to have a very clear goal. We are going to break the Taliban's momentum. We are going to build Afghan capacity, especially in the area of your army and your police," Eikenberry said. He declined to comment on his relationship with Karzai, which has appeared strained since his criticism of the leader. He did say that he met with Karzai earlier yesterday.
McChrystal has described a plan to create a "rising tide of security" in southern Taliban strongholds that would win over the civilian population, and NATO commanders have said the next few months will be key to success.
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