US Envoy Opposes Afghan Troop Surge

Eikenberry expressed strong opposition to sending thousands of more troops to Afghanistan.

In two classified cables, General Karl W. Eikenberry expressed strong opposition to deploying thousands of troops into Afghanistan.

He also voiced strong worries over the “erratic behaviour” of West-backed Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Eikenberry, a former commander in Afghanistan, joined a meeting of Obama’s war council on Wednesday to stress his opposition to the proposed troop surge.

He argued that sending more troops would boost Afghanistan's reliance on US security forces.

The envoy, who has served two military tours in Afghanistan, said more troops should not be deployed until Karzai shows he can tackle insipid corruption.

The envoy’s opposition clash with the top US and NATO commander General Stanley McChrystal, who has pressed for sending 40,000 more troops into Afghanistan.

The US, which invaded Afghanistan in 2001, has been facing growing attacks from Taliban, which was ousted by the 2001 invasion.

Public opposition to the Afghan war is growing, with some 800 soldiers having lost their lives in Afghanistan and the number of casualties rising.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll on Wednesday found that 56 percent of Americans are against sending more troops into Afghanistan.

Not “Open-ended”

Reflecting the envoy’s opposition, the White House warned that the US commitment to Afghanistan was not “open-ended”.

"The President believes that we need to make clear to the Afghan government that our commitment is not open-ended," the White House said.

"After years of substantial investments by the American people, governance in Afghanistan must improve in a reasonable period of time."

The Obama administration has been critical of the Afghan President over his failure to tackle rampant corruption in the country.

Karzai has angered the Obama administration by saying that the West has little interest in Afghanistan and that its troops are there only for self-serving reasons.

"The West is not here primarily for the sake of Afghanistan," Karzai told the PBS television.

"It is here to fight terrorism. The United States and its allies came to Afghanistan after September 11. Afghanistan was troubled like hell before that, too. Nobody bothered about us."

The West-backed leader was indifferent when asked about the withdrawal of most UN staff from Kabul after a deadly bombing that killed five foreign UN officials.

"They may or may not return," he said. "I don't think Afghanistan will notice it."

Karzai has come under fire over the massive fraud that marred the country’s second presidential elections.

He was only declared winner of the Afghan elections earlier this month after his chief challenger Abdullah Abdullah withdrew from the run-off over complaints of Karzai’s failure to tackle fraud.