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11/02/2024 11:34:18 am

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Afghanistan's Karzai Blasts U.S., Pakistan In Farewell Speech

Outgoing Afghan President Hamid Karzai

(Photo : REUTERS/OMAR SOBHANI) Outgoing Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during a ceremony commemorating the 2001 assassination of legendary Tajik resistance commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, in Kabul Septembsr 9, 2014.

Outgoing Afghan leader Hamid Karzai blamed the United States for its part in the continuing war in his country during his farewell speech on Tuesday.

President Karzai's speech  came days before Afghanistan swears in its new president, Ashraf Ghani, who will share the power with election opponent Abdullah Abdullah. The latter will serve as the country's chief executive following a complicated and controversial election which ended in an agreement of power-sharing.

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After almost 13 years as Afghanistan's leader, Karzai delivered his farewell speech, wherein the president criticized the United States as well as a fellow Middle Eastern country, Pakistan, for their ongoing war against the Taliban insurgency.

According to Karzai, America had its own goals and agenda in his country, and did not really want to bring peace.

"If Pakistan and the United States wanted peace in Afghanistan," Karzai told an audience composed of government officials at Kabul's presidential palace, "they are capable of it."

Meanwhile, Karzai failed to mention in his speech that the Americans have lost more than 2,000 men in the battle with the Taliban and have spent billions of dollars for the cause. Neither did he acknowledge the help of other Western countries who lost over 15,000 soldiers in the war against the Taliban.

Karzai, however, praised India, an ally country who has given much less compared to the West.

James B. Cunningham, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, described the speech as "ungracious and ungrateful." What he found most ungrateful about Karzai's statement was the disregard of the contributions and sacrifices made by Americans and other Western allies.

Karzai also mentioned Pakistan's  involvement in Afghanistan's foreign policy. He said that the war in his country was imposed by outside forces.

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