Ambassador Karl Eikenberry
U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan
Press Roundtable
November 3, 2009
Ambassador Eikenberry: Welcome to the United States Embassy, it’s good to have you here. With your permission I’d like to open with a few remarks about the election and the way ahead, and then afterwards I’d be delighted to take some of your questions.
As all of you know, the United States of America has a very broad agenda in your country of Afghanistan. One of the most important areas of focus for us over the past few months, and for many other in the international community, has been supporting credible and secure elections in Afghanistan.
With the Independent Electoral Commission’s announcements yesterday, I thought it was a good moment to meet with all of you to talk about where we are in the relationship with Afghanistan and what we see as the way forward.
You’ve probably seen our statement yesterday, in which the United States of America welcomes the Independent Electoral Commission’s decision to conclude the electoral process by foregoing the second round of voting. We appreciate that the IEC has taken this decision in accordance with its mandate under Afghan law.
The United States has been very committed to supporting the Afghan people and the institutions of their government in carrying out a constitutional electoral process, and we have never deviated from that goal. We congratulated President Karzai and his victory in this historic election, and I personally had the opportunity to speak with him this morning and again shared our congratulations. But also we congratulate Dr. Abdullah and all the candidates for their efforts to strengthen Afghanistan’s democratic future.
President Obama, as well as Secretary of State Clinton, also spoke to President Karzai last night to congratulate him. President Obama believes it’s important that this process was determined in accordance with Afghan law, important to the international community that so much invested in your success, but most of all important for the Afghan people. We’ve conveyed to President Karzai that the American people in the international community want to continue to partner with the Afghan people and President Karzai’s government, his administration, in achieving prosperity and security.
We have a broad agenda in the U.S.-Afghan relationship for the coming months and years, and we look forward to working with the Afghan people and President Karzai to achieve those. As President Obama said yesterday, we think this is the point in time in which we need to begin to write a new chapter for Afghanistan based upon improved governance, a much more serious effort to eradicate corruption, and efforts to accelerate the training of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police, in order that the Afghan people, that is you, can provide for your own security.
With that, again, I’d like to congratulate the media of Afghanistan for the tremendous job that it’s done over the past several months in providing excellent coverage of this historic election.
With that, I’d be happy to take your questions.
Question: The question is that the IEC declared President Karzai the winner and the President for five more years, and Abdullah almost lost the election. So he might challenge some of those and the task of President Karzai is to step forward in the fight next year. So what’s your position on that if he challenges for each problem in the future?
Ambassador Eikenberry: These are personal decisions, of course, for Dr. Abdullah. The IEC has made a legal finding and I believe it is in accordance with Afghan laws and the constitution. With regard to the way ahead for Afghan politics and Afghanistan’s future, I think that Dr. Abdullah, it is clear that he ran a very good campaign. He has interesting ideas. I know that President Karzai, his hallmark, his trademark has been over the years [to be] one who believes in national unity, one who believes in national cohesion. So it will be up to what choices Dr. Abdullah reaches in the future about what does he want his contribution to the country to be. Against that I know that President Karzai is one who has always practiced national unity. So decisions are to be made by individuals, but with optimism that the Afghan people and the political leadership will find a way to move forward together as a unified team.
Question: Recently there has been criticism in the Western media, and the U.S. Senate also criticized the Afghan government for corruption and bad government. How much optimism do you have, or how hopeful you are for the next five year term of President Karzai that these three points that you mentioned -- corruption, good government, and ANSF -- will be affected by President Karzai.
Ambassador Eikenberry: The concerns that you talked about with government accountability, corruption, desire to see the Afghan National Security Forces grow stronger, is of course are first and foremost concerns expressed by the Afghan people. These were very clearly expressed by the Afghan people during the election process -- very clearly expressed by the Afghan people in all polls and surveys that are taken. So these are first and foremost the concerns of the Afghan people. That’s the first point.
The second point is that for Afghanistan to succeed it needs in the future to have strengthened security forces. It does need to have a more capable [inaudible] of government. It needs to have better success at delivering economic well being to the people of Afghanistan. These are all goals that your people aspire to. They’re also goals that the international community, your allies and friends in the international community, we aspire to those same goals.
What we have right now with the conclusion of the electoral process is we have opportunity. We’re going to find ways to strengthen our partnership -- we, the United States, and the international community. That is the partnership with your government and your people. But as President Obama said yesterday, and there is strong feeling by the United States that government and our own people, we need to make progress more rapidly. We need a serious effort in which we both roll up our sleeves; we’re frank with each other about where the challenges lie, as friends should be frank, as partners should be frank. But we need to partner now and we need to make serious, serious efforts over the next several years to really develop the Afghan National Army and the Police of Afghanistan so increasingly Afghanistan has the capability to provide directly the security for its own people and very serious efforts made and very serious progress made in trying to improve the accountability of the government, really fight the problem of corruption. Take it head on and deal with it.
And we, the international community, we have a role to play in this. When I said the international community, we have a role to play, I mean that in terms of making improvements in our own programs here. With our AID programs. We do need to make our AID programs more transparent. We need to find ways to have more of our AID programs going directly to the government of Afghanistan. And we will do that. But at the same time in order to achieve success, we have to have a partnered approach, and on the partnered approach Afghan leadership that will very directly address the problems of corruption and accountability and we’ll deal effectively with it.
Question: I want to know if there is a lot of blame from the people for the decision of Election Commission because it was a lot of people who select the President, not the Election Commission. What do you think about this?
Also I want to know in part because there is a lot of [inaudible] in security, there was [inaudible] and Taliban accusation groups in Afghanistan. The situation becomes very bad, day by day. What do you think [inaudible]? How do you go there? Could you contain the security situation? Because it is very bad.
Also what do you think -- You said want to support Karzai government. What do you think is, that five [inaudible] government, and how you [inaudible]?
Question: You want an accountable government in Afghanistan. How do you think, or how sure you are the Karzai government will be accountable in regard to its appetite for the seven years experience in the government and he was not accountable? How sure you are that he will be accountable in the future, because you talked about accountability of the government.
Ambassador Eikenberry: I wonder if we can start actually with the most technical question, with the IEC, and then let’s go with this --
Question: The first two.
Ambassador Eikenberry: First of all regarding the IEC decision, two points. The first point is the legality of the decision. There’s absolute confidence that the decision is a clear interpretation of Afghan law and the Afghan constitution and indeed using international precedents, international examples that the decision is a legal decision.
Of course then the second point is that legal decision exists within a broader context. That context is there are security challenges in Afghanistan right now. That if the second round were to move forward it would impose costs. It would impose costs to the Afghan Army, the Afghan Police, it would impost costs on NATO ISAF. Those costs including the loss of lives, as certainly the Taliban extremists would fight against that election.
The second point is about the context, is that on the first round of the election that President Karzai by far did gain the most votes. That’s also an important part, I think, of an IEC decision.
The third point is with all of that in the context that a legal decision, an understandable context, a situation, then the need to conclude the electoral process based upon legality, based upon in accordance with your constitution, perhaps a point in time then can move on.
The second point is about the security situation. Clearly there are parts of southern and southwestern Afghanistan, several locations in northern Afghanistan, for instance Kunduz, where the security situation over the last year has declined.
On the other hand over the last several months there have been some very significant gains and improvements in security in parts of your country. Helmand Province, in Nawa, in Helmand Province in Garmsir, in the Arghandab in Kandahar. Increasing parts of Zabul. And indeed, in parts of Kunduz. So there’s been some reversal that, and some improvements in security.
But as I said at the start, it’s a time right now of opportunity in the United States of America and NATO. And currently, the ongoing discussion about the best way to implement our President’s new strategy -- we’re excited now about the conclusion of the election process, providing us an opportunity to have serious discussions with President Karzai and his administration about how we’re going to come together and partner and work in areas of security, improving governance, improving economic development. All of those together really helping to improve the security situation.
Then finally, your third question about the prospects for improvements over the next five years. The first question I would do, instead of asking me, I would ask you and through you to the Afghan people, the Afghan leaders. What are going to be your programs to improve governance and to make strides against corruption over the next five years?
-- to deal with some of these problems. It does require political will.
Against that, let me say that for the United States, and I know for our international partners, that we would say that in the way ahead let’s talk about five different elements of a combined effort.
First of all: partnership.
Secondly, setting clear, combined strategic goals and objectives. That is, let’s be clear: what specifically do we want to accomplish together?
Third is showing combined determination to achieve those goals.
A fourth point: speed and urgency. Your people and importantly, our people, they’re demanding success. We need to have more urgency through our efforts.
Then fifth and finally, a combined commitment and a long term commitment.
If we can try to keep to one question next time.
Question: Some of the Afghan political analysts believe that in order to end up the current crisis in Afghanistan, Afghan President Karzai needs to talk and negotiate with the Taliban. I just would like to know: what’s your position on that?
Ambassador Eikenberry: The first point is that any discussions with the, any efforts to reach out to those who are fighting the legitimate government of Afghanistan, who are fighting your government, the first principle that will always be a decision by the government of Afghanistan in support of your people to lead those efforts.
It was interesting during the very exciting presidential campaign, during that two-month extraordinary period of debates and ideas, we noticed that almost every candidate, perhaps all 41 candidates, talked about reintegration and to various degrees, almost all of them seemed to be saying positive things about it.
I think that the United States feels very consistent with President Karzai’s view, that several principles should be applied in talking about reintegration. The first point is the first principle being to renounce any ties with international terrorism. Anybody that is considering to rejoin their society, to rejoin Afghanistan, that the first principle would be renounce ties with international terrorism.
The second would be the renouncing of the use of violence.
The third is respect for the constitution of your state, respect for the laws of your state.
This is very much something that has to be led by your government, supported by your people, and within that context the United States government will in turn support your government-led efforts.
All the while steadily, with the United States of America, with NATO, continuing our determined efforts even more urgently now to build your army, to build your police, and to strengthen your government.
Question: What [inaudible]? Is there need for change?
Ambassador Eikenberry: President Karzai has said that he is very committed in his second term in office to increasing the quality of his cabinet and indeed the quality of leaders that are appointed at the sub-national level, that is at the level of the province and district -- leaders who are technically capable, leaders who are good managers, leaders who are responsible with the resources that they’re provided. Leaders who are transparent, leaders who are accountable to the people of Afghanistan, leaders who everyone has confidence are doing a good job of taking the resources provided to them and applying these in such a way that they’re serving to the absolute benefit of the Afghan people and to the future economic prosperity of Afghanistan.
I have to say that, having served in your country three times before, that the quality of your cabinet in Afghanistan has steadily improved. There are some ministers who we say are world class. They could be a good minister in North America; they could be a good minister in Europe. There are really some first class leaders serving in the cabinet of Afghanistan.
I believe that President Karzai’s committed to expanding the quality within the cabinet. And frankly from an international perspective, that will be important.
We have opportunity, the opportunity to provide more resources, more financial contributions to important ministries. But of course if those ministries do not have the appropriate leadership or the kind of capable leadership, then of course they’re going to be discouraged from giving investments in those areas. And I think that’s understandable to the Afghan people.
So with good leadership, good quality in management, of course those are the right places to put developmental money. And where there’s not, I think it would be understandable to the people of Afghanistan that they would not want their own dollars developmental money being given to Afghanistan to be wasted, so to speak, in a particular area. It would be better to put it into a different domain. But maybe even more important over the next five years from the leadership at the sub-national level, at the level of provincial governor, districts, chiefs again. I know that President Karzai is committed to making improvements there. He will have our full support. But frankly, this is an area that requires urgent attention. And once again, I think this is something that the people of Afghanistan say much more clearly than anybody in the international community.
Question: I have a question, even though it’s not related to the specific issue, but in broader context it’s related to the strategy. Recently Secretary Clinton had a visit from Pakistan and in a meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister she said to Pakistan Foreign Minister [inaudible] that the U.S. strategy of Afghanistan/Pakistan should be consulted and your advice should be heard because Pakistan knows Afghanistan more than any other country. What’s your position on that? Is it important to know their consultation and advice in regard to US strategy for Afghanistan?
Ambassador Eikenberry: I thought I was going to make it through my first press conference in Afghanistan without having one question about Pakistan, so you didn’t make it, and I’m glad you didn’t. I’ve never been through a press conference here w2ehre some question about Pakistan did not come up. [Laughter].
What’s important is that Afghanistan and Pakistan as they move forward together find ways to have better cooperation in the area of security, better cooperation in terms of diplomacy together, better cooperation in terms of economic ties, increasing trade between the two countries.
Afghanistan and Pakistan share geography between them and they share a history between them that makes the way forward at times difficult. So this is going to be a long term process. There’s a journey ahead.
If I look to 2003, 2004 and 2009, you can certainly see evidence of progress. The United States of America will continue to do whatever we can to facilitate cooperation between your two countries.
But when it comes to our relationship with Afghanistan, determining our way forward with Afghanistan, we take the counsel of the leaders here in Kabul and directly with the Afghan people. We base it on a very strong bilateral relationship which we hope will become stronger and stronger over the next five years.
I wonder if I could conclude then with just adding something else. Once again we have great opportunity right now. The United States and Afghanistan, the international community, Afghanistan most importantly, Afghanistan itself. We have to move quickly together. We have some very serious challenges that we’re facing in the area of security, trying to improve governance, and we will have to move with urgency.
We really look forward to the inauguration of President Karzai. We look forward to President Karzai’s address to the Afghan people. What is his vision with you, the Afghan people, over the next five years? What does he hope to accomplish? What will be his legacy five years from now? Where will Afghanistan stand? Where will it be for security, for its government? Where will it be in terms of economic development?
What the United States hopes for, I’ll tell you as the Ambassador for the United States, what the United States hopes for in five years is a much strengthened Afghanistan, an Afghanistan that has true control and sovereignty. A strong army and a strong police facilitated by our efforts to develop it, that is fully responsible for providing the security and the protection for the Afghan people. With the U.S.-NATO forces having stepped back, as we say, to the second round. Here hoping to equip your army and police, train your army and police, perhaps with some of our capabilities still providing direct support to your army and police, but with us having stepped to the second rank and with your security forces entirely in the lead everywhere.
In which international military forces are not detaining Aghan civilians. This entirely a responsibility of the Afghan security forces and your legal system as it should be.
Strong organized efforts led by your government to reach out and to make progress in the area of reintegration, fully supported by the international community, fully supported by the United States of America.
Afghanistan’s place in this region, its secured place in this region, fully established. We hope in five years from now that the government of Afghanistan is more accountable, stronger, able to respond effectively to the needs of its people. Believe in the rules of law. Transparent. And an economy that’s continuing to develop. A government that’s able to collect more revenues from the people, and then able to take that revenue and apply it in very transparent ways to further the education of the Afghan people, the health care of the Afghan people, to further develop your economy.
More of a donation of money. More of the developmental money going directly to the ministries of Afghanistan, going directly to the government of Afghanistan as opposed to going to NGOs outside of your government.
So we eagerly await the inauguration of President Karzai. We look forward to his vision, to his goals, and what you’ll find, the Afghan people will find, is with clarity in those goals and objectives, you’ll find a very strong, long lasting partner in the United States fully committed to trying to help you, the people, realize those goals and objectives.
Thank you so much.
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