Petraeus Comments Offend Karzai Government: Report

Washington Post:

KABUL - To the shock of President Hamid Karzai's aides, Gen. David H. Petraeus suggested Sunday at the presidential palace that Afghans caught up in a coalition attack in northeastern Afghanistan might have burned their own children to exaggerate claims of civilian casualties, according to two participants at the meeting.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[Nancy Parrish]

02:00 AM on 03/31/2011

We all know that every country knows how to use the media. Patraeus is a pretty decent person by nature. Given that in the past, the reports by Afghans of civilian deaths by NATO forces have been accurate, so smart money goes with it being the case here, which makes General Betrayus's beyond the pale.
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Nancy
government auctions

[roberttsf]

01:44 PM on 02/24/2011

General Petraeus is the man. He probably told Karzai that the U.S. wasn't going to allow him to steal any more money from us. I am willing to bet that Karzai wanted some outlandish kickback for a percieved mistake, and Petraeus told him where to shove it.
This happens periodically there. The taliban kills someone and pins it on the US. The government of Afghanistan knows its not true but uses it to leverage the US and get us to spend money on projects which in turn they will get a kick back from the local contractors that build it. Its disgusting extortion but its common place.

[JDM73]

04:01 PM on 02/23/2011

I wonder how those big shiny stars on Petraeus's shoulders would feel if they were inserted into his @n@l cavity? I think that's where they belong.

[vinny]

03:55 PM on 02/23/2011

"We'll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours," Yemen President Saleh told General David Petraeus, then head of US Central Command, on January 2, The Guardian said, citing the leaked cables.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/12/201012415822722373.html

[Larry Putnam]

01:57 PM on 02/23/2011

We are at WAR, loose lips sink ships if folks thought like some do in this post during WWII we would be speaking German now and would not be able to express any comments.
Some post do speak the Truth , the Karzai government is not our friend and should not be supported by the US Tax payer.


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[JustADumbFireman]

01:45 PM on 02/23/2011

And remember, this was that brilliant Wunderkind who was supposed to have such expertise in anti-insurgency (without ever having been directly involved with it).

[UncleSquinky]

04:33 AM on 02/23/2011

Given that in the past, the reports by Afghans of civilian deaths by NATO forces have been accurate, so smart money goes with it being the case here, which makes General Betrayus's beyond the pale. But even in the VERY highly dubious case that he were correct, it would be extremely impolitic of him to make such a claim. In either case, it shows the piss-poor leadership of the US forces and government. Betrayus should be 86'ed. The guy has become a general Killgore. This just shows the racist, bigoted mindset of the US military. It is a disgusting killing organization akin to the Waffen SS.

And if it becomes clear from incontrovertible evidence that the Afghan claims are true, then Betrayus needs to be brought up on war crime charges for so flagrantly and disgustingly covering up a mass slaughter of civilians by US/NATO forces. And if the Commander in Chief doesn't do so, he should be impeached, convicted and then brought up on war crime charges too, for protecting war criminals.

[JustADumbFireman]

01:45 PM on 02/23/2011

Agree on all counts.

[roberttsf]

01:32 PM on 02/24/2011

First of all you refer to a General that has served his country for the last 30 years on modest pay as"betrayus." It makes me wonder if you'd lift a finger for this country. This man took a demotion and left home on a minute notice to take over a bad situation, and why? Because his commander and chief asked him to. Would you do the same? Odds are no.
Second your claim that the military is a racist, bigoted organization. The military is one of the most egalitarian places in modern society. From day one you are taught that you rely on each other and no one else. IT doesn't matter if you are christian jewish, muslim, black yellow brown, white. You are all green from that day forward. You sir, should use more descretion in your comments. You may not like the current situation and your dissent is warranted. However, be respectful of the fact that these people are being shot at everyday, while you blog from your mom's basement.

[Blackorpheus]

02:45 AM on 02/23/2011

Petraeus is lying and he is defaming. Not that he'd care. After all, they're Afghans.

[Fred LaMotte]

11:44 PM on 02/22/2011

White euro-american males know how to win the hearts and minds of little brown skinned people throughout the third world.

[cybersense]

09:20 PM on 02/22/2011

I am staying objective about this. We all know that every country knows how to use the media. Patraeus is a pretty decent person by nature. Someone said He Said IT. Then they said he quoted someone else saying it. Nope, not going to fall into this cage, not until I know more.

[roberttsf]

01:46 PM on 02/24/2011

atleast someone around here has the ability to take an unbiased look at an issue before passing judgement. F&F

[Edward Standley]

09:09 PM on 02/22/2011

I agree with Karzai. those were completely offensive remarks. He should throw every last American out of Afghanistan. (But he won't, cuz American troops are the only thing keeping the Afghan people from crushing Karzai like a bug.)

[vascopyjama]

01:19 AM on 02/23/2011

Plus whatever Karzai and his cronies can siphon off from the US.

[omega777]

08:38 PM on 02/22/2011

Afghan civilians killed in nighttime U.S. raid
In a raid targeting senior militants, four to 'a dozen or more' civilians were killed, NATO says. The deaths will likely add to tension between the West and Karzai's government over Afghan lives lost.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-civilians-20100806,0,6159361.story

[JustADumbFireman]

01:46 PM on 02/23/2011

That might perhaps maybe be kind of true.

[Happy Clb]

08:15 PM on 02/22/2011

this is second hand information from an unnamed source in the afghani govt., who most likely, is speaking for karzai.

how reliable is karzai and any of his inner circle working for him?

also, from articles i've read on gen. petraeus since the guy went back into the battefield, he's one of the most carefully worded people out there, a master craftsman at the art of speak and he's quite truthful. i would highly doubt he would speak in a manner that would be so literal or could be construed in such a literal way.

[UncleSquinky]

04:39 AM on 02/23/2011

From articles you have read on Betrayus, huh? Yeah, they're to be so much more believed than Afghan sources as the US "news" media have shown themselves over and over again to be beyond reproach.

This guy Betrayus has shown that he can't take the stress; he fainted during a Congressional hearing, for gawd's sake. Clearly he is in over his head. And I can easily some arrogant 4-star general in that mans' army making such a malicious, mendacious, racist and bigoted statement.

[Happy Clb]

12:10 PM on 02/23/2011

i've generally read on it, even from the lefties' version of fox and friends as well as fox and friends.

"betrayus" is a borrowed word you used that was debunked. moveon.org lost a lot of credibility after that skewering.

he was sent into two unwinnable wars to try to turn them around by two civilian administrations that were floundering. he did well in iraq compared to other generals before him, and was able to reduce the level of violence. he will most likely be rotated out of afghanistan once he stabilizes it enough.

i would say that history would hint at someone being able to take the stress and follow through on his duties.

he has come across as one of the most carefully worded public figures. he knows how to speak and i would highly doubt he used inflammatory language in any kind of meeting esp. with the likes of karzai.

it's an obvious statement to say war is gruesome. he was put out on the battlefield by flawed administrations. petraeus never declared any of the wars he's been put in charge of, though the nature of his profession is that of war and from his tenure, he's stuck with geneva conventions.

it's more correct to put blame on the executive and legislative branches of govt. and call them war criminals esp. those who condoned or voted for bush policies.

[JustADumbFireman]

01:47 PM on 02/23/2011

The American military: plundering other nation's resources for a LONG time!

[1donewrong]

08:11 PM on 02/22/2011

This has been going on for years in hopes of hitting a big pay day. Looks like John Edwards is over there drumming up clients