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A$b*scsd*r Naacy J. F*qmltrDire*tor G*neral *f th* F*reign Ser$i*s and *irectcr of F{urna:t l{*s&urcssU-S" Dep*rtreat cf,State33*l C S{.r*et fil+rlVashingt*n, D.e" ?*53fr

Sear Anrb*s**dor Powe! l.

It ix rryith grsst rryret and disappointrnent I subrait rny re*ignati*n *cm rnyappcintment as * Folitical Offrcer in the F*reign Ssfiric* and my po*t as th* $eni*rCivili*n Repwntative far the E"J"S" Gavemm*nt in Sabul Frovin*e. I h*ve **rvdsix of the p:*viaus tcn yesrs in sc*'ice tr: our ccu*try overs€ac" t* includrdeplnyrnent as a [J.S. It{arine offrcerand Depanme*t tf Defensc civilien in th*Huphratcs *rnd "I'igris River Valleys cf lraq in 20S4-2SS5 and:*ffi-?0fi?. I did n*tent€r into this positi*n tightly or rryith any undue *xpctetio*s Rordid I b*lir.ve rrlyassigcment r+,ould be without sacrifi*e, hardship sr diffi*ulty" Ilorvever" i* the*trusra *f my five month-s of s'ervice in Afghanistsn, in both Regiorral CsrnmandsEast and South, I have lost undersfanding of and cnr:fidence in the slrat*gi*purpo€€F of the Usrited State*' Fre*€nce in Afghani*an" I lcave doubts andrcservati*$s abt;ur our curTs*t $tr-ategy and planrr*d future strategl, bulrn3.resigndinn is based not spn hanr oxe *re pursr.ring this war, b*t why and to tryltat

end- T* put simply: I fai! is ss* ths value or the r+oorth in e*ntinued {J.S.

caru*lties or expendibrre$ *f m*s{ffies in supp*rt *fthe Afgh$r gsvcrnnrent inwhat is, trull', a 35-y*ar *ld eivil rrar-

Thic fEIl sEill snark the eighth year of tf.S. c*mbat, governance anddevelopment operatians ll{thin Afghanistan. Next fall, the {-lnitcd St*tes-oerrydiffi will equal in lengh ttrc Soviet Unicnos *wn physical inv*rlv*rnent inAfghanistan- I-ike the Saviets, we continue to secu:E *nd bolster a f*iling st*te,rrrhile encauraging *n idmtog and systern of g*vernrneni unknown *r*d urrwar?tdby ite pople-

tf the teist*qy *FAfglraristan is oilre great stage pley, tke tlnited States i', noilnsre than a supporting aetilr, arrrang sevcral previously, in a tegsdy tk:: ,xr{ anlypits tribes, valle3rs. ctans" viltages and familics against one ano{rsr'. lirt- Fcm al[e*$t the e*d of King Tahir Shah"s reign, has violently andr*.' .,;;i{ pitted the

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ufu$, ces.Erlsr, dunstcd srrd sr,sdcrn *f A*ghanisf"an again*t the rurai, rcligi*us,illiferfite std tvaditisnal" ft i* tfiis laffier greuF f}rst rlcr$pases and suppeirfs dt*Fashttrm inxurgency" Ttt* Fmhnur ins*rymrcy, rvErich i* *cmprsed *frmufifipfle*seemiaglSr iertlnite, ltcaB gmnrys, i* ffi by rvimt i* perceivd hy the pa.qhtun

Be*p$e*s a sxlgrtiftud sild *u*tained assaeEt, S*Eng back e€*t*.lrifs, &n Fastltun 1*rr4culture, tntditions *nd religio* by int*rnal and rltr",*rnal *nerniec- 'the U.$- a*dh{ATt} pffiseru*e;are<f *preratians im Fsshtun valleys and viBlages* ae we€l as Afghaarar?!t;H a*d p*ltim units t!'let *r* led artd c*mpt'rs*d *rfsr*r*-Pss*atilTt s*€diese findp*i*e, prcvide ae occrrpati*n tbrce +gai*st wFrich th* in*ergcnry isjustifie*" Inhrth RC l,a*t and Scutfr. I have abs*rved that *e hulk trf the insurg**ey fighr* n*eFcr r&e w|rite fo*mer *f the Tsl;krrt but rather against the pr**e*ce erf f*rei€prssldier* sdd lffxes iwrp*red hy ar* usrlepreselliir{.ivr: g{??es"nrna:*t in Kabui.

Tirs lfnited $tst*s rniXitary Fresense in Afghanistan gr*af]y **.uttributes t* tk*legitimaey and s{rategie n:essage arf the Fashtun insur.gen*3,- trn a like *nanner*urFmeklmg sf the Alkhen gsve.{nnne*t in its currer:d Forrn celitinn$es t& dFstan** fh*S$v€rniln*xt t?*m the peaple" The Afghen g{}vernfi}€nt's f?ri{lngs- prrr{icr"rleriyrlrtrcn weighed agains{ the sacritl*e sf S.merican lives and dallars" ap5}#ar g*gitlra

arad nnetnstatic:

r *$arileg corrr@i*n asrd e,lra*trmhed gre&t A Prqside*t c.vhs€e csnfidr*rts nnd chief adviserg rxrmprirr drug lcrds

acld r#ar crirnes vi$ain*. r*rilro m**k *Er *wrt rute *f Eaw asdcq:u nternarc*ti cs e fY*rt* ;

* A s3:tern *f pmvine**l s*d districl,l**der* c**stitutd *f-[CIea* prlwerbroker*, opp**tu*ist* asad strnngrner* alEie*lt* th* {Initcd St*tr* xrlelyl<rr, and limit*d by, th* r'alue of aur USAID and CERFI s$ntr**fits erHJ

whtl:it rlwn plitit:rl and econornir: inteie*ts stand n*&ing to garnfron: any positive *r gercuine at*rnpfs aJ rer"*nciliation; arrd

a The rys*nt *l*:cti*rn prrlc*ss dorninat*d by fraud ar*d dis*.rtxiittd [:ylcw v*t*r tum*ul_ ra,"hirh hac created ffr enomlous victxrry lirr oilccllcmy rvh* ncw'clainrs a gxrpular hcyc*tt a*d rvill *sli int* q$€s*t:ftqrr*rldwide our Bovefltment's military" scoru*rreic and diplcr*a{i*sirp$tort for an i*rudid arrd illlgitima*c A*ghan gov*rnrm*rr{.

flur *uppart F*r tlris trEin* af'govemmenl c*upled vuith a rniaandr.rstand"rng*f tl'le insurg*ltr-v's tt-u* na.fitr*, rernind* m* horrihl1,'*f *ur invnlv*mr*t rvith scu*tfuVi*tnaEm: an ulrp*lpxlarend *orrupt g{rverr*Ercnt $r* besk*d et &* expens* of *rurl{atlgn'* rrwre internai grrrar:*, against an insurgrncy *hns* n:r{,ie:n*}isnr t',,*artcgarrtly anrl ignaraatly mist**k as * rival ttr {}ur erwfi {*kl Wrrn irl*al*g-y*,

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I find *tretinu* the refr.ssrts w* ask tsr bt$odshed and.se.sriFlse &*rr* CIun

J.'sung men and rlr*tn€It in Afghanistan. Ifh*n*sq *urstet€d sffit€trf cfsec.uringAfghfrnistan ts pr*vesre sl&eds r€silrgen*e tr d'ryrutlping would rcquile u* to*ddigisnalEy invade and o*e.lxpy w*,*tern Fdrist**" Sarna*i*, Sudan" Yrxn'en- *{r:.fiur presence in

"4,fgh*ni*tan has only increased destahilieati*n alrd insurg*nry irr

Fahisteri where l*"e r{gtttly ikar a t*ppled cr tr.eakened Pahistsni govrrnrnent rnaryEc** csnhgl of its tlucl*ar r*'tffipssl*- Flqlr*rever" ag*in, rs fotlcw the logic of ourstdsd gnalx we shculd garriscn thkisten, not Af,gle*nistsn" foI*re *r"r- tlre S*pte*hr.ri lth attacks! as welles ihe M*lrid *nd Lsnd*rl h*mbingsr 1#est prirnarily planndand arganie*d in trYestem Eurr:pe; a poiat that highligt** tfre *rreat is n*t *:ns tiee!gr raditicnal ge*grcphie nr pEitical bcundaries. Fin*!ly, it'our c{}r!*ern is f,*r sfaiEed state cripplu*l by comrp*ion *nd prve*y arrd *rnder asxslt&t fnrffi *rir:i*al snddnqgl*lds, then if ws h*ar+ur milit*ry and finaneial s*nf ibrr€ieins t* Afth*niscarl,w* rnsst rwval*ate a$d ir$rease rrur c$mmitmenr kr qfid inv*trremen* in iv{exic*"

Ei$lt y€dnr inta war, no n*ti**r hry ever ker*wn I rrrtrr€ ddisatd. trrel$

treinfd, expriwecd and disciplined rni$itary as thc {J"S" Arrned Forces- t dre n*rtbelieve any rnititary furce has ever foeen tasked with su*h a ecmple.n" *p*que andSis3'phean arissicn *s the U"S. military lras recei*'ed in Afg]r*nis€an. Ths t*cfi*alprnfi*ieurcy and p*rfumruse $f,{fir $oFdiers, SaiEors, Ainrearr axd lsariress istlnsratc*rcd and unque"stianed. Ilsurcver, tlris is nat the fiurupean *rr Fa*iflctheat*rs *f W*rld War II" btrt rath*r is a war fcrw*rich *ur lr*d*r:n, unlfornr*{sirrilian a:rd *l*cte.d, h&ve inadequately prcpared and rexor:rced our men andiryor$eilL *rrr f,sces, devated ffid faithful, have ben mmrnltted tcr *$afli*t i$ *slir:d*finit* anri unpl*nncd rnanner tlaa{ has become acavalier, p:lirically *xgrudiemtand F*llyannaish ffii*sdvclriure. $imilady, the [Jnit*d Stflttr has a dedicated artdtal*nt*d eadn6 crf civilians, t*th U"S- g*vemment ernpl*yccs and ca*tractnrs, wk*believe in *nd sasrifrce f*n their rni*sion, but have heen ineffectuaEly uaind andEetl with guidanee axd int*rtt shaped m$re try the plltti**l *licmat* in Wnshin€f*)rl,S"e" thsn ir Afghan *iti*a villag*s" n:*unlains at:d velhyx-

*lYe sre spending olrrselvss intc ablivi*n* a v*ry {alentsd afid ixtelligemtcarnrnandcr, $*i: *f Arnerica's b*xt, hricfs every visitor" stafTdeleggtielsr *$d ssrsi*rcffie*r. ffe are nnc*gagingssrNa€ion'* Fconcrny arl* war, which" eveR withinerxase.l e*mrnifment. will rem*in a draw for yrars tc *ome- Sur:e*ss anrl vict*ry,what*ver tk*y *aF fue" r#tll be re*Itred ra*t in yffiffi" sfier bitliEsn$ nlsre *pent, buti$ decad*s a*d genemti*ns. The Llnited Statss do'ea mrt st*sy a *afi*nal fraesreryf*rr *u*h sur*ess and vi**rnr.

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I ffislire fke ern*tinn afid fsile cf rny [ener end esk yau e].ctlffi *1ty itl6ierrw€r_ { tnrst ycu undemtarrd the *af,ure cf this rrer and the sscritlces rnxd* by *c'

ur**y thsssand* nf fsrsitie* wk* !l**'e bee,n sepamted f,roru lovd rmes depfcged id:

dsFsnse *f sur Fiatia* asd rryfmse h*rne* kar the *acturcs, taFheavsl* aruil scars of,

mrr[ttple ard. eon:lp*unded deplcyrn*nts" Tho*ss*ds $f $ur me$ and w*ntml have

rcm*rn*d tr*rne wlth pteysie,*t *nd me*tal r*,r*unds" $*rre fh*t wil! Eever heal s'r will

cn[y-rvcrxmr witpr tir*e- Tb* dd Mur$ *nty in hadily fonn trl be receivd by

far,,iti*s urh* ruust be rea-criured their dmsi h*ve sa*rifi*ed &rr a prlrp*ss w*rtlry *ffut*res losL love vanislee{ and premisd dre.agrs rmkept- tr have t**t r16trfidsrc*

*ueh assumnsfis *an a$ym6r€ bs nrade. As such' I *ubrnit nry resig*atitrrn'

slYrelr' t //f{fMl**tJJ* p.iot' \

$eaior f ivi I i*n RcPres*nt**iv*Xsbul Fmt'ir**e, A fgfiani*t*n

{rc: Mr. Franh Rug;ier*Ms. *awn LibcriArslkssd$r AntlrelxY llfaweAfi&*ssa&r Kar$ Eikenbeq"rY