Karzai Rushes to the Aid of McChrystal

Hamid Karzai never really liked Barack Obama (and the feeling was mutual…). If you believe the article published by the American magazine Rolling Stone, General McChrystal had also not been one of the American president’s fans; even though he tried to rectify the situation Tuesday night by apologizing profusely and stepping up his praise of Obama.

It is really not surprising that Karzai rushed to the general’s defense, affirming that he was “the best leader” and a person of “great integrity.” He especially made it known that this was not the time to change “military leadership.”

“The president believes that we’re in a sensitive juncture in our partnership, in our war on terror, in the process of bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan,” the Afghan president’s spokesman Waheed Omar declared several hours before the announcement of Stanley McChrystal’s departure.

While NATO forces prepare to attack Kandahar, the historic stronghold of the Taliban, Ahmad Wali Karzai, the president’s half-brother, is following in his elder brother’s footsteps. He is also governor of Kandahar Province.

“If he is fired, it will disrupt the operation. It definitely will affect it. He [McChrystal] started all this, and he has a good relationship with the people. The people trust him and we trust him. If we lose this important person, I don’t think that this operation will work in a positive way,” said Wali Karzai, in an impassioned appeal in support of the American general.

In Kabul, the Defense Minister also came to his support. “There have been enormous changes in different areas and these changes have been very important and positive,” said his spokesman. He notably affirmed that “the number of civilian deaths has decreased and we are still working together with General McChrystal to further reduce this.”

One thing is certain: General Stanley McChrystal always evidenced more sensitivity on the thorny question of “collateral damage” than his predecessors. Last February, he even made a public apology on Afghan television after a “blunder” killed dozens of Afghans.