Stanley A. McChrystal Quotes
The Afghans are scared. Some are scared that the Americans will leave. Some are scared that the Americans will not leave. They are scared of the Taliban. They are scared of predatory government.
The government of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai was totally corrupt and preyed on the Afghan people. See {629318}. The United States had committed to the turnover at the end of 2013 the responsibility for maintaining the security of Afghanistan to the Afghan military and police forces who were being trained by the Americans.
Stanley A. McChrystal, Army General & Commander of Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, Interview, PBS The Charlie Rose Show, January 8, 2013
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Karzai was totally corrupt and what was worse maintained his political power by allowing local Governors, mayors, warlords, police and judges to extort bribes for virtually all public services and in many cases extorting money from successful businessmen as well as even poor and middle class families. A large proportion of the money that America and its coalition allies were spending for economic development in Afghanistan was being siphoned out of the country by corrupt officials of the government. Karzai then was the beneficiary of the support of all these corrupt officials in rigging his reelection in what became an embarrassing farce for the coalition. There were others in the administration who believed that there might be enough persuasion to produce change in Karzai, and America and the Coalition had no other better option. Eikenberry not only predicted that there would be no change in the corruption levels, but that the average Afghan people would never really support and fight for the government which proved everyday to anyone who would look that the officials of the country were corrupt and had the support and green light from the President.
Stanley Allen McChrystal is a retired United States Army general best known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the mid-2000s. His last assignment was as Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, United States Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A). He previously served as Director, Joint Staff from August 2008 to June 2009 and as Commander of JSOC from 2003 to 2008, where he was credited with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, but also criticized for his alleged role in the cover-up of the Pat Tillman friendly fire incident. McChrystal was reportedly known for saying what other military leaders were thinking but were afraid to say; this was one of the reasons cited for his appointment to lead all forces in Afghanistan. He held the post from June 15, 2009 to June 23, 2010.
