Report: General named US envoy to Kabul
NEW YORK (AP) — A career military officer who is set to retire soon from the Army has been tapped to become the next U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, The New York Times reported Friday.
Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry has served in Afghanistan twice, including an 18-month tour that ended in 2007, and knows the issues facing the troubled country and the players well.
An Obama administration official spoke to the Times on the condition of anonymity because Eikenberry's appointment had not been made public.
According to the Times, the general has consistently spotted problems in Afghanistan early and issued some of the first warnings about a resurgent Taliban.
He also championed building a strong Afghan army to combat the Taliban, a top priority for the White House.
Eikenberry has also warned repeatedly that the U.S. cannot win in Afghanistan and defeat global terrorism without doing something about al-Qaida fighters holed up in neighboring Pakistan.
The Times said it's highly unusual for a president to tap a military officer who is soon to retire to fill such a sensitive diplomatic post.
AP
Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry has served in Afghanistan twice, including an 18-month tour that ended in 2007, and knows the issues facing the troubled country and the players well.
An Obama administration official spoke to the Times on the condition of anonymity because Eikenberry's appointment had not been made public.
According to the Times, the general has consistently spotted problems in Afghanistan early and issued some of the first warnings about a resurgent Taliban.
He also championed building a strong Afghan army to combat the Taliban, a top priority for the White House.
Eikenberry has also warned repeatedly that the U.S. cannot win in Afghanistan and defeat global terrorism without doing something about al-Qaida fighters holed up in neighboring Pakistan.
The Times said it's highly unusual for a president to tap a military officer who is soon to retire to fill such a sensitive diplomatic post.
AP
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