© The Associated Press / Steve RuarkThe remains of Lance Cpl. Joshua B. McDaniels, 21, of Dublin, Ohio, and Lance Cpl. Sean M. O'Conner, 22, of Douglas, Wyo., arrive at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on Tuesday, June 14, 2011. The Defense Department says both men died on June 12 in combat in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan warned Sunday that the American people are growing weary of being viewed as "occupiers" by the leaders of a country where so much American blood has been spilled.
Karl Eikenberry's candid and impassioned remarks came a day after President Hamid Karzai in a televised speech accused U.S.-led foreign troops of being in the country "for their own national interests."
On Sunday, Karzai met with Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi - on the first ever official visit by Iran's top defense official - and the two discussed problems arising from "the presence of foreign forces" in Afghanistan, according to reports in Iranian state media. Last week Karzai held talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of a Eurasian summit in Kazakhstan, and similar sentiments were expressed.
More than 1,500 U.S. troops have lost their lives in Afghanistan - some 177 this year alone - since U.S.-led forces invaded to topple the Taliban regime following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. More than 900 military personnel from other nations have been killed over that period.
There are around 100,000 American troops deployed in Afghanistan, and the first in a series of phased withdrawals is due to take place in the coming weeks.
© The Associated Press / Pablo Martinez MonsivaisPresident Barack Obama meets with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, May 12, 2010.
"When Americans, who are serving in your country at great cost in terms of lives and treasure, when they hear themselves compared with occupiers, told that they're only here to advance their own interest, and likened to the brutal enemies of the Afghan people, my people in turn are filled with confusion and they grow weary of our effort here," Eikenberry said.
"Mothers and fathers of fallen soldiers, spouses of soldiers who have lost arms and legs, children of those who've lost their lives in this country - they ask themselves about the meaning of their loved one's sacrifice," he continued. "I have to tell you, when I hear some of your leaders call us occupiers, I cannot look at these mourning parents, these mourning spouses, these mourning children, and give them any kind of comforting reply."
Eikenberry conceded that that the "learning curve has been steep" in what is a "complex" situation. "But - in spite of our mistakes - we are a good people whose aim is to help improve our mutual security by strengthening your government, army and police, and economy."
He went on to list some of the accomplishments, including the building of schools, clinics, roads, power stations, investment in educational training and in the agricultural field, promoting trade and reviving culture, music and sport.
"Yet, when we hear ourselves being called occupiers and worse, our pride is offended and we begin to lose our inspiration to carry on," he told the Herat University students.
"At the point your leaders believe that we are doing more harm than good, when we reach a point that we feel our soldiers and civilians are being asked to sacrifice without a just cause, and our generous aid programs dismissed as totally ineffective and the source of all corruption ... especially at a time our economy is suffering and our needs are not being met, the American people will ask for our forces to come home."
Relations between Kabul and the coalition have been strained over a number of issues, particularly civilian casualties. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported 368 conflict-related Afghan civilian deaths in May, attributing 82 percent of them to "anti-government elements" and 12 percent to "pro-government forces."
Rules have been tightened to reduce the risk of civilian deaths, but Karzai late last month lashed out again at the U.S. and NATO over civilian casualties, especially those arising out of nighttime raids targeting insurgents.
"If they continue their attacks on our houses, then their presence will change from a force that is fighting against terrorism to a force that is fighting against the people of Afghanistan," he told a May 31 press conference in Kabul. "And in that case, history shows what Afghans do with trespassers and with occupiers."
Oh really? What counts are they looking at? Surely not the ones stated for the public. What price freedom when there's so many volunteers willing to pay for it? I think Vietnam might serve as a good lesson here, too bad such things aren't taught to the troops, let alone the general staff. Perhaps the same practice of declaring victory and leaving quickly might soon appear at the embassy there?
Me thinks this outgoing ambassador protests too much. Obviously, he thinks the program of patriotism is in jeopardy and might awakened the American troops, if not the loyal mass media watching masses at home. Good thing he jumped on this right before leaving town, same as Ike and his famous comments.
Yes, the American people do seem to be asking for their troops and monies to come home, but who listens to them anyway? And for that matter, who in Afghanistan listens to our CIA friend Karzai? Given how often this program of empire building occurs in that region of the world, the locals don't even need to be taught it in school to know the results of the situation as it just repeats and repeats and that region seems to attract them like a magnet... moths to a flame of their own destruction.