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Afghanistan

German general criticises Afghan president

2010-09-04

[Geo TV] German General Egon Ramms, chief of operations of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, criticised Thursday Afghanistan's Caped President Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai for failing to support NATO forces in the war against the Taliban.

Ramms said in an interview with the daily economic newspaper Handelsblatt that the president "looks at things from a point of view that, in no way, we can like."

Karzai, speaking in Kabul, had said the strategy for Afghanistan needed a rethink and he criticised NATO for civilian deaths in the country.

"He should decide whether he prefers the ISAF and troops from supporting nations, or the Taliban with whom he might want to work in future"

Ramms reminded Karzai that NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the counter-insurgency mission in Afghanistan, had played an important role in ensuring his reelection as Afghan president in November 2009.

"As a result he should decide whether he prefers the ISAF and troops from supporting nations, or the Taliban with whom he might want to work in future," the general said.

Reminds me of the old Jack Benny gig:

Jack is walking down the street and is approached by a mugger, who says, "Your money or your life!"

Jack says nothing, and the mugger repeats, "Hey buddy! I said, your money or your life!"

To which Jack replies, "I'm thinking, I'm thinking!"

Ramms also accused local Afghan authorities of releasing on several occasions members of the Taliban jugged by coalition forces in the north of the country, where German troops are based.

Posted by:Fred

#4 I guess the Germans are must be coming to the end for their rope to actually publically say some thing like this.

@Fleaper:
1. Forgive? I would hazard a guess that Obama just thinks their misunderstood people. After all Jihad is just to purify, right? Oops, I wasn't supposed to post that while Obama is in office.

2. Contain like Russia? I wish people wouldn't say idiotic things like that. Iran is not Russia. They do not have the same culture, society, or governement. That's like people saying the past repeats itself. Well, I got news for them, it can't. If some thing happened in the past, it's in the past, not the present. Current circumstances may be similar, but the past can't come back unless some one builds a time machine or time becomes circular. I prefer the linear approach to time myself. If avoids all those causality problems.

Posted by: miscellaneous 2010-09-04 20:22

#3 Karzai and a majority of the Afghan/Pashtun people might indeed work out some deal with the Taliban.

The big problem is that the US and NATO are in Afghanistan because of 9/11.

The original goal was to eliminate the Taliban, not because the Taliban mistreated the Afghans and the Afghans wanted them gone but because the Taliban sheltered Al Qaida.

Has the US officially forgiven the Taliban?

Is Bush's statement to a Joint Session of Congress (given 9/20/2001) inoperative?

Should a (potential) adversary of the US take threats by the President seriously?

Some say a future nuclear Iran can be deterred and contained like the Soviet Union was. But the failure to defeat and punish Afghanistan, and the Taliban in particular makes this proposition absurd.

After "Enduring Freedom" why should a nuclear armed Iran expect any sort of retaliation for sponsoring attacks on the west?

/rant

Posted by: Large Fleaper8859 2010-09-04 16:45

#2 The president was too busy throwing coins at his dancing boys to respond.

Posted by: bigjim-CA 2010-09-04 13:04

#1 09-04 Afghanistan
German general ~~criticises~~ circumcises Afghan president

Posted by: Skidmark 2010-09-04 01:04

00:00