Afghan Envoy Assails Western Allies as Halfhearted, Defeatist

[Coventina]

Source: Washington Post

Afghanistan's ambassador to the United States attacked Western governments fighting in and providing billions in aid to his country, saying that those who claim the international community is not winning the war against extremists there "should know that they never fully tried."

"We never asked to be the 51st state," Ambassador Said T. Jawad said, a reference to a suggestion last month by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) that the United States should concentrate on "realistic goals" and its "original mission" of counterinsurgency in Afghanistan.

"To suggest that Afghans do not deserve peace, pluralism and human rights is wrong and racist," Jawad said.

He said negotiations with the Taliban should be conducted by the Afghan government and should be withheld until it was in a "position of strength." President Obama, in a New York Times interview last week, echoed numerous administration and U.S. military officials in suggesting that the United States seek negotiations with "reconcilable" Taliban elements.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/11/AR2009031104232.html

[bemildred]

1. Taliban poised at the gates of Kabul

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A top Taliban commander has told CNN his insurgents are poised and ready to attack Kabul and could strike virtually anywhere in the city.

It would be tempting to put this down to Taliban propaganda except one of Kabul's top cops is saying the same thing.

"We are working on a security strategy for the city and if we don't get it right, they can attack at any minute, at any hour, any time," says Commander Mohammed Daud Amin, in charge of securing the Kabul district that includes the Presidential Palace and many government ministries.

Proof of the menacing threat came just last month when eight Taliban fighters, bristling with weapons and suicide vests, burst into three government buildings in the center of Kabul.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/12/afghanistan.kabul.security/

[MessiahRp]

2. So if this so commonly known, why are we not engaging with them to back them off?

Rp

[bemildred]

3. That's an excellent question. nt

[maxsolomon]

4. sorry, Afganis, we wore ourselves out in Iraq

our empire is broken, now we can't fix it even if we wanted.

maybe if Pakistan wasn't such a clusterfuck there'd be a chance to stabilize.

[peace_to_world]

6. after all somebody had to pay for the million deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan

You people have created a disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.You people never tried to stabilize Afghanistan instead created a disaster by providing that so called international support to people like Karzai,Musharraf and now this Zardari who had even worsened situation of Pakistan.I don't understand why that ******* Bush started that war against terror and has ruined us along with his country.

[SpartanDem]

5. He's right

Bush and Co never really tried to win. Why, would they want to when an endless conflict could line their pockets and provide political cover for whatever they wanted to do.