Verbal setback

Once again, an ill-considered statement by Afghanistan’s mercurial president, Hamid Karzai, has cast a shadow over the U.S.-led military mission. Karzai raised doubts in an interview about why foreign troops are necessary and suggested it’s time to curtail NATO operations and start withdrawing.

The blowback was swift. Gen. David Petraeus, the coalition military commander, warned that Karzai’s criticism makes the general’s job “untenable.” A scheduled meeting between the two was canceled.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Karzai described relations between the U.S. and Afghanistan as “grudging” and expressed deep skepticism about American policy. From his perspective, these might not be verbal blunders but rather a candid expression of his true feelings. That’s exactly the problem.

Respected world leaders rarely speak their minds publicly. Statesmen understand the importance of measuring their words carefully to avoid creating the tensions that Karzai regularly stirs. Few countries have such a high dependence on international military assistance as Afghanistan. When speaking publicly, Karzai must place his country’s broader security interests ahead of his personal desire to vent.

President Barack Obama shares the blame with his flip-flopping on Afghanistan policy, particularly regarding the date to begin U.S. withdrawal.

Karzai needs to learn the art of keeping his mouth shut. Obama needs to articulate a clear and unambiguous policy that doesn’t give Karzai justification for continued outbursts.

Policy ambiguities aside, the current U.S. strategy is showing positive results. Karzai’s antics must not be allowed to derail America’s mission.

— The Dallas Morning News