Betrayed by US Karzai loses trust in West, says Al Qaeda 'a myth'
3 March 2014, 12:28
In an emotional interview the departing Afghan president tried to explain why he has been such a harsh critic of the 12-year-old US war effort in his country. He said he's deeply troubled by all the casualties Afghanistan has seen and feels betrayed by what he calls an insufficient American focus on targeting Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan.
Karzai assumes that America was indifferent to Afghan interests when waging the war.
'Afghans died in a war that's not ours,' he said in an interview, the first in two years.
In Karzai's opinion, al Qaeda is 'more a myth than a reality'and the majority of the United States' prisoners here were innocent. He's certain that the war was for the US security only and for the Western interest.
Some Americans call Karzai a delusional leader, an ally who became an adversary during the 12 years of his presidency.
In the latest blowup, he has refused for months to sign a security agreement that his government had negotiated with the United States that would permit a residual U.S. force to remain here beyond 2014. He has added several new demands in exchange for signing the deal.
But in a phone call with Karzai last week, President Obama said he will accept having the winner of Afghanistan's April presidential elections sign the pact. Karzai indicated that he views that as a best-case scenario. He won't have to submit to U.S. demands — such as the continuation of counterterrorism operations — but the popular security agreement will probably still be finalized.
'It's good for them to sign it with my successor,' the Afghan leader said.
On the security agreement, as with several other issues, Karzai's antagonistic approach seems to have succeeded, in the sense that he has forced U.S. officials to move deadlines — and even to reshape policy.
The main question is: was the war worth it, after all?
'I am of two hearts here. When I see good, I am in approval. When I see the losses of Afghan people, our children, maimed and killed, I'm in disapproval,' he said. 'Maybe I can give you an answer of yes or no two, three or five years from now, when my emotions have subsided. Right now, I'm full of emotions.'
Karzai has also said that US forces should have done more to target the Taliban in Pakistan, rather than bomb Afghan villages.
But before he resigns, Karzai has a few more words to address his American partners with: 'To the American people, give them my best wishes and my gratitude. To the US government, give them my anger, my extreme anger,' Karzai added.
Voice of Russia, the Washington Post
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