WASHINGTON (AP) - The nominee to be the next ambassador to Afghanistan said Thursday that the U.S. and its allies must act fast to pour more money and troops into the war.
Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry told the Senate on Thursday that with the war effort lagging, the United States and the international community must urgently devote more military and civilian resources to turn around the war effort.
“The way ahead is clear but the resources to date have, regrettably, been insufficient,” Eikenberry told his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He faces no apparent opposition and could be confirmed as early as next week.
Eikenberry, a West Point graduate with a wide range of military experience, would succeed William B. Wood, a career diplomat who has headed the U.S. Embassy there since April 2007.
If confirmed for the post, Eikenberry has said he would retire from the Army.
In an opening statement to the committee, Eikenberry underscored what he called the urgency of the requirement to turn around the war effort, which has evolved into a stalemate in key parts of Afghanistan as the Taliban-led insurgency has gained clout.
“Time is of the essence,” Eikenberry said. “There will be no substitute for more resources and sacrifice.”
He spoke one day before the Obama administration is expected to publicly unveil a new, broader strategy for Afghanistan, including new initiatives in support of neighboring Pakistan.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said Wednesday that he sees Eikenberry as an astute choice as chief U.S. diplomat in Kabul in a period of growing worry about the war’s direction.
“At such a time, Karl Eikenberry brings exceptionally valuable skills to the table,” Kerry said. “After two much-lauded tours of duty there, he knows the military side of the equation as well as anyone can. In his new civilian capacity, he is uniquely placed to get the civil-military balance right.”
Eikenberry has stirred no apparent opposition from any member of the committee.
“As our ambassador to Afghanistan, General Eikenberry will be able to draw upon extensive experience in engaging international partners and facilitating a more collaborative effort with the Afghans,” Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., the committee’s top Republican, said at the hearing’s outset.
Eikenberry has previous experience in the political-military arena. He served as the U.S. defense attache in Beijing, and he did a stint in Hawaii as director for strategic planning for the U.S. Pacific Command.
Fluent in Chinese, Eikenberry also is a scholar of Chinese history, including ancient Chinese military history. He has two master’s degrees _ one in East Asian studies from Harvard and another in political science from Stanford.
John Naland, president of the American Foreign Service Association, a professional organization of retired and active members of the U.S. foreign service, said he knew of no other case of an active-duty general or admiral being nominated for an ambassadorship. Joseph Prueher, a retired four-star admiral, had left the Navy several months before he became U.S. ambassador to China in November 1999. Another retired Navy admiral, William Crowe, served as ambassador to Britain during the Clinton administration.
Eikenberry has served since 2007 as deputy chairman of NATO’s military committee in Brussels. Before that he was the top American commander in Afghanistan for two years _ his second tour of duty there. He previously was chief of military cooperation, with responsibility for developing Afghan security forces.
Stephen Biddle, a defense specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations and a recent visitor to Afghanistan, said in a telephone interview that there would appear to be reason for concern about possible friction between Eikenberry and the current top U.S. commander there, Gen. David McKiernan.
“Given that most people think the situation in Afghanistan has been getting worse, and that policies are going to have to change, you just wonder what the chemistry will be between these two guys,” Biddle said.
“I have observed that senior officers in a theater of war are not necessarily a band of brothers,” he added. “Sometimes they get along, sometimes they don’t get along. And this strikes me as a situation in which one might imagine that there would be more than the usual amount of potential for an awkward relationship unless they just know each other and like each other and hit it off.”
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On the Net:
Eikenberry biography: https://www.nato.int/cv/dmilcom/eikenberry.html
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