U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office

Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800

Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001

65–249 PDF 2011

S. HRG. 111–930 

NOMINATION 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

MARCH 26, 2009 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Relations 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: 

http://www.fdsys.gpo.gov 

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts, Chairman

CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut 

RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, Wisconsin 

BARBARA BOXER, California 

ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey 

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland 

ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania 

JIM WEBB, Virginia 

JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire 

EDWARD E. KAUFMAN, Delaware 

KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York 

RICHARD G. LUGAR, Indiana 

Republican Leader designee 

BOB CORKER, Tennessee 

JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 

JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho 

JIM DEMINT, South Carolina 

JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming 

ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi 

DAVID MCKEAN, Staff Director

KENNETH A. MYERS, JR., Republican Staff Director

(II)

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

Eikenberry, LTG Karl W., to be Ambassador to Afghanistan ............................. 10 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 12 

Inouye, Hon. Daniel K., U.S. Senator from Hawaii .............................................. 5 

Letter of support from Hon. Colleen Hanuabusa, President, Hawaii State 

Senate ............................................................................................................ 6 

Kerry, Hon. John F, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts ....................................... 1 

Lugar, Hon. Richard G., U.S. Senator from Indiana ............................................ 4 

Warner, Hon. John, former U.S. Senator from Virginia ...................................... 7 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 8 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD

Prepared Statements 

Dodd, Hon. Christopher J., U.S. Senator from Connecticut ......................... 32 

Feingold, Hon. Russell D., U.S. Senator from Wisconsin .............................. 33 

Responses to Additional Questions Submitted for the Record 

Questions Submitted by Senator Kerry .......................................................... 34 

Questions Submitted by Senator Casey ......................................................... 35 

Questions Submitted by Senator Menendez .................................................. 37 

Questions Submitted by Senator DeMint ....................................................... 38 

(III)

(1) 

NOMINATION 

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2009 

U.S. SENATE, 

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, 

Washington, DC. 

Karl W. Eikenberry to be Ambassador to Afghanistan 

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:36 a.m., in room 

SD–419, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. John F. Kerry 

(chairman of the committee) presiding. 

Members present: Senators Kerry, Feingold, Casey, Shaheen, 

Kaufman, Lugar, Isakson, and DeMint. 

Also present: Senator Inouye and John Warner. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN F. KERRY, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS 

The CHAIRMAN. This hearing will come to order. 

Senator Warner, we kind of let our Ambassador—this is the first 

hurdle is getting by you. [Laughter.] 

The CHAIRMAN. Get him the rest of the way here. 

Well, it is a great delight to welcome our colleague Senator John 

Warner back. Sir John Warner—we are not allowed to use those 

titles over here. But he and my colleague Sir Edward have joined 

in an august group now of honorarily knighted public servants, and 

we are really delighted to recognize that honor, among many others, John. And it is great to have you back here. 

General Eikenberry, welcome. We are glad to have you here and 

look forward to a change in title, though I know a retired general 

never wants to be anything but a general, but you can wear the 

title of Ambassador, we hope, for a number of years here. 

All of us agree that Afghanistan, along with its neighbor Pakistan, represents the central front in the global campaign against 

terrorism. And in the coming days, this new administration is 

sending a new Ambassador to Afghanistan to implement a new 

strategy. 

At this crucial moment, after too many years of drift in the place 

where al Qaeda plotted 9/11, we need to get our policy right. In 

LTG Karl Eikenberry, the President has chosen an exceptionally 

skilled and deeply knowledgeable public servant to represent the 

United States in Afghanistan. 

General Eikenberry has already served two tours in Afghanistan, 

most recently as the top United States commander there from 2005 

to 2007. He knows the local terrain. He knows the military side of 

2 

the equation as well as anyone can. And I believe he is uniquely 

placed to get the civil-military balance right as Ambassador. 

It is clear that General Eikenberry is well equipped to hit the 

ground running, and this is absolutely vital because the situation 

is deteriorating at an alarming rate. The Taliban has been resurgent. Attacks are up. U.S. casualties have been increasing, and 

confidence in the Afghan Government’s ability to deliver for its people has been waning. 

In a region of suspicious—of historically long-term suspicion 

about foreign footprints, we don’t have a lot of time to waste in 

order to turn the tide. The President has pledged to recommit to 

Afghanistan, beginning with the deployment of 17,000 additional 

U.S. troops and a significant effort to increase the size and the capacity of the security forces. 

In 2006, I argued that more U.S. troops were needed. I believe 

that, but I also believe they have to be very carefully tasked. The 

footprint has to be very carefully managed, and I emphasize troops 

alone are not going to bring victory. 

Later today, I really look forward to hearing from the administration about the results of the strategic review, and we have been 

briefed, to some degree, up until this point. But one thing is clear. 

Our military commitment has to be matched by a comprehensive, 

bottom-up strategy that acknowledges Afghanistan’s history of decentralized governance and recognizes the capability of our international and Afghan allies. 

I agree with the President that our primary goal in Afghanistan 

is a simple one. It is to make sure that Afghanistan does not once 

again become a launching ground for terrorist attacks against 

America or our allies. That is our goal. Achieving this goal will involve improving governance at all levels and helping the Afghan 

Government to deliver better security and better services to the Afghan people. 

At next week’s NATO summit, the President will ask our allies 

to do more to shoulder this burden. We have to persuade those 

countries unwilling to take on expanded combat roles to deepen 

their involvement in other aspects of the mission, including police 

training and development assistance. 

More will also be required from the Afghan Government. Corruption remains a powerful obstacle to progress. Too often the judicial 

system and police force drive Afghans to the Taliban. That is unacceptable. 

President Hamid Karzai has promised to address this chronic 

problem, but as we devote more resources and put more soldiers 

into harm’s way, we have to insist on more in return. 

Afghanistan’s Presidential elections this August will be crucial in 

restoring faith in the Afghan Government. We will watch closely, 

and we will work closely with the Afghans in order to make sure 

that that election is open and fair. We will not pick any winners. 

We will not back candidates. We want this to be a playing field 

where the Afghans freely and fairly choose their leadership. 

3 

Even as we work to strengthen the performance of the central 

government, we must redouble our efforts to expand their ability 

to reach beyond Kabul, empowering women and working more 

closely with trusted provincial leaders to ensure that development 

funds reach the Afghan people. 

One promising model for success at the local level is the National 

Solidarity Program, which employs Afghans in reconstruction 

projects that have actually been requested by the village elders. 

One of the most vexing governance challenges is the flourishing 

narcotics trade, which provides a major source of funding for the 

Taliban. We need to provide greater subsidies and technical assistance for farmers who abandon poppy cultivation, as we have done 

in Nangarhar province, but we also must crack down on drug lords 

and reduce production, employing sustained force when necessary 

particularly in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand province. 

Our strategy must also reflect the interconnectedness of the region’s challenges, and this requires redoubling our efforts to 

strengthen Pakistan’s civilian government and support its activities 

against militants in the tribal belt. That is why Senator Lugar and 

I will shortly be reintroducing the Enhanced Partnership with 

Pakistan Act, which seeks to triple nonmilitary aid to the people 

of Pakistan while holding its security forces more accountable for 

assistance provided in their fight against the Pakistani Taliban 

and al Qaeda. 

We also need to reach out to Afghanistan’s other neighbors, including India, China, and Iran. In 2001 and 2002, we should not 

forget Iran provided critical assistance to helping us stabilize Afghanistan, and the administration is absolutely correct to explore 

how our interests might again coincide on this issue, beginning at 

The Hague conference next week. 

We went into Afghanistan to hunt down al Qaeda and to replace 

the Taliban rulers because they refused, at that time, to break with 

al Qaeda and because they harbored those al Qaeda leaders with 

a legitimate government strong enough—our purpose in going in 

was to create a government strong enough to avoid the destabilization of a vital and volatile area. 

Today, that goal demands a more robust commitment of coalition 

troops and reconstruction aid. It is not too late to turn the tide in 

Afghanistan, as complicated as it may be. But only a comprehensive strategy, only sufficient resources and strong national resolve, 

and only competent leadership on the ground is going to lead us 

to that success. 

I thank General Eikenberry for joining us here today. I look forward to hearing his views on the way forward in Afghanistan. 

And again, we are delighted to also welcome one of our most distinguished and senior members of the Senate, Senator Inouye. I 

think, General, you couldn’t have picked two more capable or respected members to introduce you here today. 

Maybe we will just have them introduce you, and we will forget 

the rest of the hearing. [Laughter.] 

But just about works that way, I promise. 

Senator Lugar. 

4 

STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD G. LUGAR, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM INDIANA 

Senator LUGAR. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

I think you made an excellent suggestion with our colleagues 

John Warner and Dan Inouye. Just wonderful to have both of you 

here. 

I would just say, as you mentioned, Mr. Chairman, among the 

many important decisions being made in the first months of the 

new administration, certainly those with relationship to our engagement in Afghanistan and the surrounding region are among 

the most important. 

And I welcome Karl Eikenberry, who has been nominated to be 

our Ambassador to Afghanistan. General Eikenberry has served in 

numerous positions as a career military officer, including two stints 

in command of military forces in Afghanistan. He demonstrated exceptional diplomatic skill in these commands as well as in his current assignment as deputy chairman of NATO’s Military 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. I am encouraged by the renewed emphasis on Afghanistan 

as reflected in the appointment of Ambassador Holbrooke and the 

President’s own statements about our policy. 

Nonetheless, many details need to be fleshed out as more resources and troops enter Afghanistan, and I look forward to hearing the nominee’s impressions of the Obama administration’s strategic review and of how we can improve Afghanistan’s capacity to 

govern itself. 

For the last several years, our Government has struggled to gain 

greater European participation in Afghanistan. We are unlikely to 

succeed if military and political efforts in that country trend toward greater U.S. domination. Europe has strong incentives to cooperate closely with us to make the NATO mission a success. 

The September 11 attacks were planned in Afghanistan. Al 

Qaeda still operates there. The fate of the country remains both 

strategic and symbolic. 

The drug trade emanating from Afghanistan impacts European 

society, and the instability in Afghanistan poses a threat to other 

states in the region. There should be no doubt that Afghanistan is 

a crucial test for NATO. Alliance commanders must have the resources to provide security. They must have the flexibility to use 

troops to meet Afghanistan’s most critical needs. 

President Obama’s election was greeted enthusiastically by most 

Europeans. During his campaign, he made no secret of his intention to elevate the priority of the Afghanistan mission. It is essential the President and European leaders work together to finalize 

a plan for greater European commitment in Afghanistan. 

The appointment of a general to be our Ambassador in Afghanistan effectively highlights the importance of interagency coordination between our civilian and military institutions. In this regard, 

I hope to hear from the nominee today how he intends to employ 

the experience of senior diplomats in his country team. I also hope 

5 

the President will soon announce his choice of an experienced and 

proven USAID mission director. 

In 2003, then-Senator Joe Biden and I introduced legislation to 

improve the capacity of civilian agencies to respond to national security crises. Since then, this committee has frequently emphasized 

and authorized greater civilian response capacity as a partner to 

our overtasked military. 

Defense Department leaders, led by Secretary Gates, Admiral 

Mullen, and General Petraeus, have recognized the necessity of 

such a civilian partner. Multiple reviews of our policy in Afghanistan and Iraq have concluded that up to 80 percent of activities 

necessary in post conflict and counterinsurgency situations are civilian tasks. Success in Afghanistan may depend on the attitudes 

of the people, the progress of reconstruction, and the development 

of the economy as much as it depends on battlefield victories. 

Last year, the Bush administration submitted a substantial fiscal 

year 2009 budget request to fund the Office of the Coordinator for 

Reconstruction and Stabilization at the State Department. I understand that this office is now fully participating in our interagency 

planning and deploying civilians to the region. 

The emergent Afghan strategy appears to direct the deployment 

of substantial additional civilian capacity alongside the military. I 

hope the forthcoming budget requests include at least as much as 

last year for the critical tasks of identifying, training, and deploying civilian experts, which would sustain the efforts to unify such 

interagency coordination in the current Office of the Coordinator 

for Reconstruction and Stabilization rather than build inefficient 

redundancies elsewhere. 

I appreciate very much General Eikenberry’s willingness to take 

on an extremely difficult mission, and I look forward to his testimony. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Senator Lugar. 

Senator Inouye, thanks so much for being here with us. We appreciate it. 

STATEMENT OF HON. DANIEL K. INOUYE, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII 

Senator INOUYE. Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of 

the committee, I am pleased to be here this morning with Senator 

Warner to introduce LTG Karl Eikenberry, the President’s nominee 

for Ambassador to Afghanistan. 

General Eikenberry’s decorated career in the Army has given 

him myriad experiences that I believe will serve the new administration and our country superbly as United States Ambassador to 

Afghanistan. 

Throughout his military career, he has served in a number of positions that involve policy, strategy, and political and military 

skills. A number of these experiences occurred during the General’s 

time as director of the strategic planning and policy at the United 

States Pacific Command at Camp Smith in Hawaii, where he interfaced with our neighbors in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Following his experiences at the U.S. Pacific Command, his focus 

was placed on Operation Enduring Freedom. This is when General 

6 

Eikenberry began to establish his working relations with the Afghan Government and our allies in the theater. Mr. Chairman and 

members, he possesses a thorough understanding of Afghanistan, 

its history, culture, and people. And on several occasions, the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee called upon General 

Eikenberry to discuss events in East Asia and Afghanistan because 

of his expertise in this area. 

General Eikenberry’s knowledge of both the military and diplomatic perspectives will be of great benefit as the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan. The challenges that face the new administration and the Department of State, as noted by you, Mr. Chairman and Senator Lugar, are immense. If General Eikenberry is 

confirmed—and I hope he is—the Department of State will gain 

from his expertise, the established relationship he has in Afghanistan, and the expeditious transition his nomination affords. 

Finally, Mr. Chairman, I request that a letter of support from 

the president of the Hawaii State Senate, the Honorable Colleen 

Hanabusa, be made part of the record. 

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, it will be. 

[The letter from Hon. Colleen Hanabusa follows:] 

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, 

THE STATE SENATE OF HAWAII, 

Honolulu, Hawaii. 

Chairman Kerry, Senator Lugar, members of the committee. 

I write in strong support of Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, who has been nominated 

to be the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan. 

As one of our country’s most sensitive and delicate diplomatic assignment, it is 

critically important that our Ambassador to Afghanistan understands the culture, 

history and political landscape of the post. I can think of no better nominee for this 

position than Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry. He served in Afghanistan twice, including 

an 18 month command tour that ended in 2007. He knows and has good relations 

with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. He recognizes, and is able to balance the political, social and economic challenges that confront Afghanistan, and I believe will 

do more to further our security interest in region than anyone before him. 

Mr. Chairman, as you have said yourself: 

At this crucial moment, after too many years of policy drift, we simply 

must get our Afghanistan strategy right. With the Taliban resurgent and 

U.S. troops increasingly at risk, we cannot afford a continuation of the status quo. At such a time, Karl Eikenberry brings exceptionally valuable 

skills to the table. 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. 

Simply stated, Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, is the right man for the job. 

Sincerely, 

COLLEEN HANABUSA, 

President, Hawaii State Senate. 

Senator INOUYE. I thank you, sir. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you so much, Senator Inouye. We know 

how busy you are with the budget and everything right now. We 

really appreciate you taking time. 

Thank you. 

Senator INOUYE. He is a good man. I hope you will pass him out 

today. 

The CHAIRMAN. Well, as soon as Senator Warner stops talking, 

we are going to take a vote. [Laughter.] 

Senator Warner. 

Senator WARNER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

7 

I would first say how pleased I am to be with you, Senator 

Inouye, and you are free to go now. I will take charge. You can go 

on about more important matters. [Laughter.] 

Senator INOUYE. Seriously, may I be excused? 

The CHAIRMAN. No, we did. And I completely understand. You 

are in the middle of very important budget issues. So thank you. 

Senator Warner, is your mike on? 

Senator WARNER. I do see this red light. 

The CHAIRMAN. OK. Great. 

STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN WARNER, 

FORMER U.S. SENATOR FROM VIRGINIA 

Senator WARNER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and my dear friend, 

Senator Lugar. Both of you have been dear friends of many, many 

years, and other colleagues here. 

I think I will ask unanimous consent that my statement be 

placed in the record. 

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, in full in the record. 

Senator WARNER. And I listened carefully to two very well drafted and delivered opening statements, and much of that material is 

in my text, but I think, Senator Kerry, you hit on it. It is the need 

to get the right balance in Afghanistan between all parties involved 

in that area. 

And Senator Lugar, I am so glad you touched on the need for the 

interagency cooperation. When I was privileged to chair the Armed 

Services Committee, hearing after hearing, pleading with the various agencies and departments of the Government to make their 

contributions because, as you pointed out, Mr. Chairman, it cannot 

be a military operation alone. It is a coordinated effort. 

And if I could just say a few personal things? As you know, I 

have been privileged—I was just sitting here and made a little 

note. Thirty-seven years ago, I went into the Pentagon, and you, 

Senator Kerry, went right on the front lines in Vietnam in those 

days when I was Secretary of the Navy. 

I only point that out that all those 5 years in the Navy Department, I really saw and worked with many, many fine flag officers 

and general officers, and then continuing in the Armed Services 

Committee those 30 years, again, many, many hearings such as 

this involving the confirmation of our wonderful people who attain 

the ranks of flag and general officer. This man is simply one of the 

most outstanding I have ever met, and that is where I was pleased 

to be invited to come today. 

As each of you said, we should commend our President for having made this nomination. And I am sure he did it with the advice 

of the distinguished Secretary of State, our former colleague. 

That was a bold decision by Secretary Clinton to reach down to 

an Active-Duty officer, and then for that officer to express the willingness to resign that commission subject to confirmation by the 

Senate. That is the type of bold initiatives that I hope this administration continues to take. 

I have great respect—of course, all of us do—for the professional 

corps who serve in the Department of State. But every now and 

then, there comes such a unique situation as this that you reach 

8 

out and find wherever you can that one individual who combines 

all of the complex issues that are facing this theater. 

As you pointed out, not just military, but it is diplomatic. Afghanistan is flanked by Iran and Pakistan, and the pressures and 

problems there are brought to bear in his work in Afghanistan. 

But this gentleman, I just would like to add one thing about all 

of the things that he has done. He is a soldier first, but he is a 

scholar, an extraordinary scholar in his attainments in the academic world. 

He is a graduate of the academy. He has earned his master’s degree from Harvard University in East Asian studies, from Stanford 

University in political science. He was a national security fellow at 

Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. 

He earned an interpreter’s certificate in Mandarin Chinese from 

the British Foreign Commonwealth Office while studying at the 

United Kingdom Ministry of Defense Chinese Language School. 

And he has an advanced degree in Chinese history. 

A rare combination of soldier, scholar, and, subject to the wisdom 

of this wonderful body, the United States Senate, he can add a 

third title—after a period of time earning it—of statesman. But he 

has done that in many respects already. 

But I mention, having looked at so many confirmation processes 

involving, this truly was a remarkable individual for this administration to find. And with his lovely wife, who is going to be introduced momentarily, they will take on this heavy responsibility, as 

each of you pointed out. 

So, with that, I would conclude my remarks and thank you, General, first for the privilege of being with you today and saying a few 

words. And second, as simply a citizen of this country, we are all 

grateful for your public service to date and your next chapter, 

which is about as important as any that you have undertaken thus 

far, if not the most important. 

Good luck to you. 

General EIKENBERRY. Senator, thank you for those very kind 

words. 

Senator WARNER. Thank you. I thank the chair. 

The prepared statement of Senator Warner follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN WARNER, 

FORMER U.S. SENATOR FROM VIRGINIA

Mr. Chairman, Senator Lugar, it is my privilege today to join Chairman Inouye 

to introduce Karl Eikenberry, the nominee to be the next United States Ambassador 

to Afghanistan. I commend the President and the Secretary of State for this outstanding nomination. 

In anticipation of the administration’s formulating, in consultation with NATO, a 

new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, the nomination of Karl Eikenberry for this 

post comes at a challenging moment. Lieutenant General Eikenberry is a gifted 

military officer whose intellect, experience, and character will serve our Nation well 

in this critical posting. 

Karl Eikenberry comes to this nomination with a military career of remarkable 

accomplishment that began nearly 40 years ago when he entered the United States 

Military Academy as a cadet in 1969. 

General Eikenberry currently serves as the Deputy Chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee in Belgium. He has had two 

tours in Afghanistan. First, as U.S. Security Coordinator and Chief of the Office of 

Military Cooperation in Kabul from 2002 to 2003 and later as the Commander of 

the Combined Forces Command–Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007. 

9 

It is during these three postings that I had the opportunity on numerous occasions to visit and consult with him. He knows Afghanistan like few Americans. He 

knows many in the Afghan leadership. He knows many in the military leadership 

of U.S., NATO, and Afghan forces. He knows and understands the important role 

played by our allies. He knows the regional context through which we must increasingly view the complex nature of the mission in Afghanistan, many components of 

which are joint and combined. 

At this pivotal moment in our mission in Afghanistan, we are fortunate to have 

a public servant who possesses this unique and exceptional record of experience. 

General Eikenberry won my respect and admiration during my earliest visits to 

Afghanistan. I always appreciated the extensive time he spent with our congressional delegations and especially appreciated the time he would spend meeting with 

members of the Armed Services Committee when he was in Washington. His observations were always candid and frank. 

As I came to know General Eikenberry and learned more of his background, I 

came to appreciate more fully his exceptional and unique skills. 

Lieutenant General Eikenberry is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy. He 

has earned master’s degrees from Harvard University in East Asian Studies and 

from Stanford University in Political Science, and was a National Security Fellow 

at the Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He earned an Interpreter’s Certificate in Mandarin Chinese from the British Foreign Commonwealth Office while 

studying at the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence Chinese Language School in 

Hong Kong and he has an Advanced Degree in Chinese History from Nanjing University in the People’s Republic of China. 

Lieutenant General Eikenberry has served as commander and staff officer with 

mechanized, light, airborne, and ranger infantry units in Hawaii, Korea, and Italy. 

In addition, he has served in various strategy, policy, and political-military positions, including: Director for Strategic Planning and Policy for U.S. Pacific Command; Assistant Army Attache ́ and later Defense Attache ́ at the United States Embassy in China; and Senior Country Director for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and 

Mongolia in the Pentagon. 

In addition to numerous and significant military awards, General Eikenberry has 

received the Department of State Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards, Director 

of Central Intelligence Award, and decorations from the Governments of Canada, 

the Czech Republic, Hungary, France, and Afghanistan. 

Chairman Kerry, Senator Lugar, members of this committee, our Nation has benefited greatly from his professionalism since 1969 and I am confident that, subject 

to Senate confirmation, he will bring to this position that same professionalism, experience, and expertise that are especially crucial during this challenging period. I 

am honored to present General Eikenberry to this distinguished committee and I 

strongly and unreservedly endorse his nomination. 

The CHAIRMAN. Well, Senator Warner, let me say in all seriousness that we joked around a few moments ago about the importance of your two testimonies. But I must say to you, General, in 

the years that I have been here—and it is about 26 on this committee—and Senator Lugar, listening to Senator Warner describe 

you and his rationale for supporting this really does underscore the 

value of your nomination. 

And I think I have heard Senator Warner give introductions before through the years, and when he refers to 37 years and puts 

you at the top of the list, as he just did, that is high praise, indeed. 

So, Senator Warner, thank you for taking the time to be with us. 

Senator WARNER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. And once again, we thank you for your remarkable years of service here. We miss you. 

Senator WARNER. Thank you very much. I wish you all well. 

These are unique times in the history of this great Nation. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, John, very much. 

General, the floors is yours. We look forward to your testimony, 

and we would like you to introduce any family members that are 

here with you and welcome them here. 

10 

STATEMENT OF LTG KARL W. EIKENBERRY 

TO BE AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN 

General EIKENBERRY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Senator Lugar, 

members of the committee. 

I am honored to appear before you as the nominee for the office 

of the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. I would 

like to thank President Obama, Secretary Clinton for their confidence in me. 

If confirmed, I would be very proud and honored to join the 

ranks of the United States Government personnel who are serving 

in Afghanistan, and I would look forward to consulting with you 

regularly and hosting you often in Kabul. 

I wanted to thank Senator Inouye and Senator Warner for their 

very generous words of introduction. 

And in turn now, I would like to introduce my spouse, Ching, 

seated behind me. 

The CHAIRMAN. Welcome. Glad to have you. 

General EIKENBERRY. Her support, as well as that of my entire 

family, has allowed me to pursue a career of national service. 

And I would also wish to mention my mother, Mary Drucilla, 

whose health restricts her to bed, but she is keeping watch on me 

today from her care center in Raleigh, North Carolina, courtesy of 

television. This is a very big moment for her, and it is a very humbling one for me. 

Last, if I could introduce Ambassador Frank Ricciardone, a very 

great diplomat and statesman who many of you know well. Ambassador Ricciardone led the missions in the Philippines and Egypt 

and, with great selfless service and setting an absolutely superb example, has now volunteered to go into Afghanistan to serve as the 

deputy. 

And if I am confirmed, I would look forward to forming a great 

team with Ambassador Ricciardone. Thanks, Frank. 

If I am confirmed, I will assume this great responsibility conscious that success in both Afghanistan and in Pakistan is in 

America’s vital national security interest. Afghanistan is where the 

cold-blooded September 11, 2001, attacks upon the United States 

were conceived and they were directed. 

Even as we speak, al Qaeda and their allies operate inside of Afghanistan and from across the border in Pakistan. They seek to 

create fear and chaos inside of Afghanistan and Pakistan in order 

to regain the territorial control that allowed them to so horrifically 

overturn the peace and tranquility of our homeland 7 years ago. 

I am proud of my 40 years of service to my country, and Afghanistan has been at the center of my career since 9/11, when the terrorists’ commandeered aircraft crashed into the Pentagon just 

below the office in which I was working. My professional experience 

inside of Afghanistan has reinforced what I have learned throughout my career, that lasting security can only be delivered through 

coordinated diplomatic, economic, and military means. 

The situation in Afghanistan is increasingly difficult, and time is 

of the essence. There will be no substitute for more resources and 

sacrifice. However, I believe with the President’s leadership and direction and with the support of the United States Congress, we can 

11 

and must foster the conditions for sustained success inside of Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

If confirmed, I will work closely with NATO and with U.S. military commanders, United States Government agencies, and our 

international partners to ensure that all elements of national 

power are brought to bear in mutually reinforcing ways. I will ask 

for your support to provide the resources needed to make such an 

effort possible. 

Our national efforts inside of Afghanistan require the wide range 

commitment of civilian expertise. In order to attract the best and 

the brightest, we must recognize their service and support their 

professional development with greater vigor. 

And while success in Afghanistan and Pakistan is vital to U.S. 

national security interests, it is also a global security concern, and 

accordingly, we must redouble our efforts to gain additional contributions from our allies and from the international community. 

Critical to our collective progress is helping the Afghans 

strengthen and expand their national army and police so that they 

have the essential capability to secure their own country. The way 

ahead is clear, but the resources to date have, regrettably, been insufficient. 

The United States, our international partners, and most importantly, the Afghans must work together to reduce corruption and 

strengthen the rule of law. Without real progress on these issues, 

success will be very difficult to achieve. 

Today’s sobering reality is that Afghanistan supplies more than 

90 percent of the world’s illicit opiates. It fuels the insurgency, and 

it undermines our efforts to develop governance. With special representative Richard Holbrooke and other key players, I will review 

our counternarcotics policy as a matter of urgency. 

More development and more aid must be channeled to those 

areas where the insurgency is rife. Even more important, assistance must be directly targeted to the Afghan people. Currently, too 

much development money is spent on costly overheads, namely, foreign consultants, multiple contracts, and security. 

On August the 20, Afghanistan will hold its second presidential 

and provincial council elections. The United States is committed to 

supporting the Afghans in pursuit of elections that are fair and free 

of intimidation. 

The administration is emphasizing a regional approach to the security challenges in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. And if I am 

appointed as Ambassador, I will work closely with Ambassador 

Holbrooke and Ambassador Patterson in Islamabad to achieve this 

goal. 

If you would permit me, Chairman, I would like now to close 

with a few words directed directly to the people of Afghanistan. 

It is evident to me, after having the privilege of serving in your 

country, that you share with Americans an overwhelming desire to 

live in peace with dignity. With our support, you will further develop accountable governance, a patriotic army and police that 

serves to protect you, access to health care and education, and employment opportunities to provide for the livelihoods of your families. 

12 

When you achieve your goals, international terrorists will find no 

refuge inside of Afghanistan, and this is precisely where your interests, America’s interests, and, indeed, the interests of the entire 

world come together. Your success is our success. 

Mr. Chairman, if confirmed, I will be deeply grateful for your 

continued support and for your advice. I fully understand the challenges that I now face and would face in the years to come. I am 

committed to working with the U.S. Congress to ensure effective 

communication and coordination of our policies and our programs. 

I again thank the President, Secretary Clinton, and the United 

States Senate for this opportunity. I would be greatly honored and 

very humbled to serve. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

[The prepared statement of General Eikenberry follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF LTG KARL W. EIKENBERRY, AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE

FOR THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN

Mr. Chairman, Senator Lugar, members of the committee, I am honored to appear 

before you as the nominee for the office of Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of 

Afghanistan. I’d like to thank President Obama and Secretary Clinton for their confidence in me. If confirmed, I would be proud and honored to join the ranks of 

United States Government personnel serving throughout Afghanistan. And I will 

look forward to consulting you regularly and hosting you in Afghanistan often. 

I would like to thank Senator John Warner and Senator Daniel Inouye for their 

generous words of introduction. 

In turn, I would like to introduce my spouse, Ching, seated behind me. Her unwavering support, as well as that of my entire family, has allowed me to pursue 

a career of national service. I would also like to mention my mother, Mary Drucilla, 

whose health restricts her to bed, but is keeping watch on me today from her care 

center in Raleigh, North Carolina, courtesy of television. This is a big moment for 

her and a humbling one for me. 

If confirmed, I will assume with respect this great responsibility, conscious that 

success in both Afghanistan and Pakistan is in America’s vital national security interest. Afghanistan is where the cold-blooded September 11, 2001, attacks on the 

United States were conceived and directed. Even as we speak, al Qaeda and their 

allies operate inside Afghanistan and from across the border in Pakistan, where 

they daily plan mass attacks against the United States, Europe, South Asia, the 

Afghan state and people, and Pakistan itself. They seek to create fear and chaos 

in Afghanistan and Pakistan in order to regain the territorial control that allowed 

them to so horrifically overturn the peace and tranquility of our Homeland 7 years 

ago. The collective purpose and unswerving mission of our Nation, the Afghan people, our NATO allies, and indeed the international community, are to act decisively, 

so that our children and our grandchildren will never endure such acts of terrorism 

in their lifetimes. 

I am proud of the almost 40 years of service to my country that has taken me 

from West Point to infantry and political-military assignments in the United States, 

Asia, and Europe. Afghanistan has been at the center of my career since 9/11 when 

the terrorist-commandeered aircraft crashed into the Pentagon just below the office 

in which I was working. You have the records of my subsequent service during two 

different assignments in Afghanistan from 2002–03 and again from 2005–07. During 

the past 2 years, serving at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, I have remained deeply engaged in the Afghanistan mission. Throughout my time in Afghanistan, I led and worked with courageous American civilians and servicemen totally 

committed to defending our Nation under the most difficult and dangerous conditions. My professional experiences in Afghanistan have reinforced what I have 

learned throughout my career—that it is the coordinated application of diplomatic, 

economic, and military means, anchored by effective strategic communication, that 

delivers lasting success when dealing with international security threats and challenges. 

The situation in Afghanistan is increasingly difficult. Time is of the essence. 

There are areas of instability and poor governance inside the country and threatening dangerous terrorist sanctuaries beyond its borders. Within these spaces, extremists try to exploit the weakness of the existing political system to impose their 

own vision of social order characterized by brutality and barbarism. There is no silVerDate Nov 24 2008 11:17 Apr 12, 2011 Jkt 062931 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\HEARING FILES\111TH CONGRESS\NOMINATION HEARINGS THAT WE WILL PRINT\6
13 

ver bullet and no quick, cheap, or easy solutions. There is no substitute for more 

resources and sacrifice. Nevertheless, I believe with the President’s leadership and 

direction, and the support of the Congress, we can and must foster conditions for 

sustained success in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

There is no exclusively military solution to the issues we and our partners confront in Afghanistan. If confirmed, I will work closely with military commanders and 

relevant government departments and agencies to ensure that all elements of national power are brought to bear. I will ask for your support to provide the resources 

that will make such an effort possible. 

One of my primary goals will be to integrate civilian and military strategies, capabilities and activities on the ground, working closely with the NATO International 

Security Assistance Force (NATO–ISAF) command. Our clear, hold, build, and sustain strategy depends upon protecting the Afghan people. At a minimum, this includes providing continuous security, enhanced governance and rule of law, and a 

sustainable legitimate economy. It requires delivering the comprehensive approach 

that effectively combines military and civilian capabilities. 

Our national efforts in Afghanistan require the commitment of a wide range of 

civilian expertise to mentor judicial branch professionals, train school administrators and teachers, develop an agricultural system, and facilitate the growth of small 

and medium business enterprises to reduce the numbers of unemployed who are 

easy recruitment targets to the ranks of violent nihilistic extremism. In order to attract the best and brightest civilian personnel, we must recognize their service and 

support their professional development with greater vigor. 

It is important to remember that while success in Afghanistan and Pakistan is 

vital to U.S. national security interests, it is also an urgent global security concern, 

with associated international commitments and obligations. The United Nations has 

a significant and comprehensive development mandate in Afghanistan, which has 

just been renewed unanimously by the U.N. Security Council. NATO leads the U.N.- 

mandated ISAF mission in Afghanistan. Many international organizations and actors—the European Union, the World Bank, and numerous superb NGOs—to mention only a few—are also present. We expect that our partners will join our Dutch 

hosts and the Afghan Government in The Hague on March 31 to reinvigorate our 

shared commitment to Afghanistan. We will redouble our efforts to gain additional 

contributions from our allies and the international community in areas where it is 

reasonable and essential for them to do more. 

Critical to our collective progress is helping the Afghans strengthen and expand 

both their National Army and Police so that they have the essential capability to 

secure their own country. 

The Focused District Development (FDD) program is the centerpiece of our efforts 

to develop a reliable and capable Afghan police force in troubled and insecure districts. Such measures, coupled with commensurate governance, rule of law, and 

rural development initiatives, show promise. However, in the absence of sufficient 

international and Afghan Army forces, police mentors, and complementary aid 

measures, there will be no lasting success. The way ahead is clear, but the resources 

to date have been regrettably insufficient. 

It is well understood that we must strongly encourage and support the Afghan 

people to establish accountable, sustainable, and effective governance. This includes 

helping them build the capacity to deliver essential government services and rule 

of law, including continued development of traditional forms of dispute resolution 

to ensure protection for the rights of the Afghan people, especially women. Security 

against terrorists and criminals is essential, but so too are justice and equity for 

all. Afghans must feel a beneficial and protective presence from a legitimate government from urban centers to the remotest villages. 

The United States, our international partners, and most importantly, the 

Afghans, must work to reduce corruption and strengthen the rule of law. Without 

real progress on these issues, success will be very difficult to achieve. We need to 

expand training and education for Afghan judicial and law enforcement officials who 

are dedicated to serving their people’s access to justice and protection. 

Today’s sobering reality is that Afghanistan supplies more than 90 percent of the 

world’s illicit opiates. The corrupting effect of drugs and the steady revenue stream 

provided by the narcotics trade fuel the insurgency and are a scourge, eroding 

Afghan aspirations for security, government probity, and economic development. We 

must acknowledge that the drug trade also affects Afghanistan’s neighbors, who suffer from high rates of addiction and narcotrafficking associated crime and violence. 

Accordingly, a coordinated and cooperative regional approach is essential to counter 

this growing threat. 

With Special Representative Richard Holbrooke and other key players, if confirmed, I will review our counternarcotics policy as a matter of the highest urgency. 

14 

Afghanistan’s low revenue base, excessive corruption, high poverty, and lack of 

economic and social services infrastructure present formidable challenges, yet they 

are not insurmountable. Our foreign assistance has supported gains in Afghan society. To illustrate, infant mortality has dropped 22 percent, there is increased access 

to quality health care for Afghans living in rural areas, an impressive 5.8 million 

children have been enrolled in schools since the ousting of the Taliban, and power 

generation is increasing with hope for the provision of continuous electricity in 

Kabul later this year. 

However, there must be better coordination between the various international donors to avoid duplication of efforts, there must be better prioritization of initiatives, 

and more aid must be channeled to the eastern and southern provinces where insurgency, narcotrafficking, and corruption are rife. Even more important, assistance 

must be directly targeted to the Afghan people, fostering the capacity for civic society development and enhancing their standards of living. Currently, far too much 

development money is being spent on costly overheads—namely foreign consultants, 

contracts, and security expenditures. 

On August 20, Afghanistan will hold its second Presidential and provincial council 

elections. For the first time in their history, the Afghans are leading the preparations for the elections. It is important that these elections be fair and free of intimidation, demonstrating to the Afghan people and the world that they are fully capable of exercising their electoral rights of choosing those who will govern them. The 

United States is committed to supporting the Afghans in pursuit of this goal. 

Much has been said recently regarding the potential for reconciliation between the 

Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban. The United States will continue to 

support an Afghan-led process, seeking to encourage Taliban and other insurgent 

groups to lay down their arms, commit to supporting the Afghan Constitution and 

cut all ties to al Qaeda and other international terrorist groups. 

The administration is emphasizing a regional approach to the security challenges 

in both Afghanistan and Pakistan based upon their obvious linkages. This has been 

highlighted with the appointment of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke as Special 

Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. If I am appointed as Ambassador, I 

will work closely with him and colleagues within the region to support related 

diplomacy. 

I will close with a few words directly to the people of Afghanistan. It is evident 

to me after having the privilege of serving in your country that you share with 

Americans and all peoples of the world an overwhelming desire to live in peace with 

dignity. With our support, you strive with your own unique talents and steady determination, to create accountable governance, a patriotic and responsive army and 

police that serve to protect you, access to justice, health care and education, and 

growing opportunities to provide for the livelihood of your families and proud nation 

in honorable ways. After three decades of war and turmoil, you desire to fully reclaim your nation. When you achieve your goals, international terrorists, narcotrafficking criminal gangs, and militant extremists will find no witting safe haven. This 

is where your interests, America’s interests, and indeed those of the region and the 

world come together. Your success is our success, and you are worthy allies. 

Mr. Chairman, if confirmed, I will be deeply grateful for your continued support 

and advice. I fully understand the challenges I face now and in the years to come. 

I am committed to working with Congress to ensure effective communication and 

coordination of our policies and programs. 

I again thank the President, Secretary Clinton, and the Senate for this opportunity. I would be greatly honored and humbled to serve. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, General. We appreciate it. 

And let me comment myself on your very distinguished academic 

career, as well as the many different kinds of posts that you have 

held. I think it is a great asset, and you bring a lot of different 

skills to this, not the least of which having survived being a student at Harvard. We think that is great. 

Share with us—one of the questions, I think, on the minds of the 

committee and some people is you did put in two tours there. And 

so, while you have the experience, you have also been there during 

a period of time when things have gotten worse. And I think people 

want to have an understanding of what your interpretation of that 

is. 

15 

I mean, why have the Taliban been able to resurge? And what 

have been the most critical missing elements of our strategy, and 

what will be different, in your judgment, going forward? 

General EIKENBERRY. Mr. Chairman, looking back, to 2001 and 

2002 to assess why are we where we are now, why it is increasingly dangerous and difficult in Afghanistan, first and foremost is 

the problem of Taliban sanctuary inside of Pakistan. When we 

went into Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002, we did quickly defeat the 

Taliban. We did quickly dismantle al Qaeda. 

We pushed them into of Pakistan. However, over the years, they 

increased of their capabilities and not only caused chaos and insecurity in Pakistan, but also undermined our efforts in Afghanistan. 

But that is not the entire problem. as well. We have not had sufficient military forces on the ground inside of Afghanistan, which 

has led then to an inability to provide sufficient security, especially 

in eastern and southern Afghanistan. There has been insufficient 

efforts to build the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. We are doing better with the army, but still falling short with 

the police. 

And then, most important, as you said during your own opening 

remarks, Mr. Chairman, an inadequate effort on the nonmilitary 

side. Insufficient civilian expertise to help the Afghans build their 

institutions of the state, insufficient nonmilitary resources, especially reconstruction aid and programs focused in rural areas, focused in critical institution building. 

The CHAIRMAN. At what stage would you say the insurgency is 

at this point, and how complicated is it going to be to unravel the 

gains that they have made, particularly in the south? 

General EIKENBERRY. It is going to require, Mr. Chairman, additional commitment of U.S. and, importantly, NATO forces into 

eastern and southern Afghanistan to get a more lasting presence 

throughout the rural areas. 

It is going to require additional efforts to more rapidly develop 

the Afghan National Police and the Afghan National Army. 

It is going to require also more effective aid programs in eastern 

and southern Afghanistan in order to develop the economy so that 

the people have alternatives to the Taliban and to extremism. 

And then, very importantly will be a coordinated regional approach with Pakistan. 

The CHAIRMAN. Is it fair to say that you felt these—the frustration of not being able to fill these gaps while you were there and 

even expressed the requirements for additional resources? 

General EIKENBERRY. Chairman, it became evident in—by 2006 

that the security situation was beginning to slip inside of Afghanistan, and at that time, together with Ambassador Ron Neumann, 

requested additional forces. And in 2006, we reversed the steady 

decline in U.S. military forces that began in 2005. 

It was also evident at that time in 2006 that more assistance was 

needed for the Afghan National Army. We requested a significant 

increase in the size of our training program for the army, and we 

also made proposals for the buildup of the police. But even this was 

insufficient. 

The CHAIRMAN. Do you believe that the doubling of the Afghan 

army as a goal will be sufficient, and is it doable? 

16 

General EIKENBERRY. It is necessary, Mr. Chairman. The previous goal for the size of the Afghan National Army was 80,000, 

and it is now 134,000. I think we have confidence that the Afghan 

National Army is at a point where they can move forward and 

build a force of 134,000. 

But this will be very contingent ultimately on our ability to deliver a sufficient number of trainers and the equipment that the Afghan National Army needs to get to that target. And this is a requirement not only for the United States, but for our NATO allies 

and our partners. 

The CHAIRMAN. There is an article today on the front page of the 

New York Times talking about ISI, the Pakistani intelligence’s involvement in supporting the Taliban and facilitating some of what 

they have been able to achieve. Would you comment on that? 

General EIKENBERRY. Pakistan has a very unclear and ambiguous relationship, and the Pakistan Army, and ISI in particular 

have had a very unclear and ambiguous relationship with the 

Taliban over the last 15 years. Pakistan, of course, and its security 

forces and the ISI are the ones that facilitated the rise of the 

Taliban when it first advanced into Afghanistan in the mid-1990s. 

And since that time, it has been unclear if all elements of ISI have 

dropped their support for Taliban and their extremist allies. 

The ongoing discussions that we have right now with Pakistan, 

and with Afghanistan, are focusing on this problem. I know that 

the trilateral initiatives that have begun under the administration 

led by Secretary of State Clinton have appeared promising. I know 

that in early May, there are another set of talks between Afghan, 

Pakistan, and United States leaders, which will include intelligence 

exchanges. 

We must continue to promote cooperation and collaboration between the United States, Pakistan, and with Afghanistan as well. 

The CHAIRMAN. General, let me just say, as I turn it over to Senator Lugar, it is my understanding that you are hoping—up until 

now, the post of Ambassador in Afghanistan has been an unaccompanied post, as we call it. I know you are hoping to take your wife 

there with you, and I think I certainly and I think the committee 

are entirely supportive. 

I think it would be a terrific message and strong boost of morale 

for the Embassy. And obviously, wherever possible, we should try 

to encourage that. So I hope that that will be facilitated. 

General EIKENBERRY. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for 

that support. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. 

Senator Lugar. 

Senator LUGAR. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

General, if you could discuss a little bit from your background in 

Afghanistan the conflicting theories there are with regard to why 

the people of Afghanistan, starting with their government and 

their military, but likewise the people, will be cooperative in rejecting al Qaeda. But then, even more complex, rejecting leadership by 

the Taliban. 

I mean, we have had discussions, at least in the press, of different kinds of Taliban. Those that seem to be of the insurgent variety and prepared, really, to take steps with arms to disrupt afVerDate Nov 24 2008 11:17 Apr 12, 2011 Jkt 062931 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 S:\HEARING FILES\111TH CONGRESS\NOMINATION HEARINGS THAT WE WILL PRINT\6
17 

fairs as opposed to others who simply have a theological point of 

governance that may be coincident with many citizens of Afghanistan. 

And it has not ever been clear to many of us as to how, as you 

take a look at opinion polls in Afghanistan and their feelings about 

Americans or about Europeans—NATO and so forth—clearly an 

ambivalence as to what they feel sometimes or the destruction 

caused by the troops, albeit as they are searching for insurgents or 

al Qaeda, but losses of life in Afghanistan to people that claim to 

be innocent civilians or to their property. 

And so, as a result, although we have plans for sending more 

troops there, we are encouraging our European allies to do so. But 

at the same time, we are encouraging civilian components that may 

be working on commerce and agriculture and education and so 

forth. How diplomatically can this fit together? 

I ask this because there will be debates in the Congress—there 

have been, I foresee more in the future—not only on the chairman’s 

question of how many soldiers are required in the Afghan army, 

but likewise, how competent will the police ever become, given all 

the charges of corruption? 

And after it is all said and done, what will be the general judgment of the Afghan people about this governance? Their own—that 

is the army, the police, President Karzai or his successor, as the 

case may be—accompanied by our aims as Americans and our aims 

as NATO allies to suppress the Taliban, suppress the threat to us 

that might occur in European capitals or in Washington, DC. 

Can you sort of give from your experience how this works out 

into a situation where the plans we have may be acceptable as opposed to resisted by the Afghan people? And why we would be any 

more successful with more troops coming in now from any source 

than we have been in the past? 

General EIKENBERRY. Senator, the starting point is the Afghan 

people’s opinion of theTaliban. Every poll today shows that over 90 

percent of the Afghan people firmly reject Taliban. They reject the 

dark Taliban primitive ideology and barbarous rule. 

The challenge for the Afghan people is that while they totally reject Taliban, they need a secure alternative provided for them. If 

coerced, without any alternatives, then they will go to the side of 

the Taliban. 

How do we provide that alternative? We need to create three 

candidates to change things in parts of Afghanistan where the 

Taliban has control. First of all, we have to be able to secure the 

Afghan people. The hearts and minds of the Afghan people may be 

with us during the daytime, but if in the nighttime the Taliban 

comes into their village, then their mind is with the Taliban. 

So we have to be able to provide more security. That gets back, 

Senator, to the question about how many troops are needed? And 

it is not a question necessarily of how many troops, it is a question 

of what are those troops doing? Are they out and about? Are they 

mixed with the Afghan people? Are they partnered with the Afghan 

national security forces? 

Second, we need to help the Afghans improve the rule of law. 

Without that, security does not rest on a foundation. 

18 

And then third, and very importantly, and the point that you had 

made, Senator, when we were together earlier this week, the need 

to think very clearly through the reconstruction development programs, trying to get rural economies developed, trying to create a 

sustainable system of commerce so the Afghans then are able to 

build a middle ground of civil society that they can stand upon. 

And when that is established, they will defend that. 

With regard then to the growth of the Afghan national security 

forces, Senator, I think that the numbers that are being discussed 

right now are about right. It may have to be reviewed in the future. If I were confirmed, of course, I would look forward to working closely with the military commands in trying to make joint assessments. 

Senator LUGAR. Well, thank you very much. That is a very concise and comprehensive statement. 

Let me ask, we have all talked now about the integration of the 

civilian persons. How is that likely to work more effectively than 

it has in the past? Civilians from America or from Europe. 

General EIKENBERRY. I think we need a combination, Senator, of 

more civilian capacity inside of Kabul to help build key institutions, such as the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, and Interior. 

But we need even more civilian expertise out in the regions. And 

that will require more agricultural experts, more justice experts, 

more small city managers to help governors develop their provinces 

and districts. 

We will have to be well partnered with the military—with the 

NATO and U.S. military—which will have to provide some assistance in terms of logistics and security to support the increase of civilian personnel and diplomats. 

Senator LUGAR. Well, you are ideally qualified to integrate all 

these personnel. We wish you well. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

General EIKENBERRY. Thank you, Senator. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Lugar. 

Senator Kaufman. 

Senator KAUFMAN. Thank you, and thank you for doing this, taking on this heavy responsibility. 

To follow up on Senator Lugar’s question, clearly there are a lot 

of people in Afghanistan, most people feel that way about the 

Taliban. They don’t like the Taliban. And clearly, it stops at 7 

o’clock. 

But isn’t there beginning to develop in Afghanistan a feeling that 

they also don’t like this war? They don’t like the battle not just at 

night, but during the day? And that doesn’t that kind of constrain 

how much time we have to kind of straighten this problem out? 

General EIKENBERRY. Senator, those are important points. I 

think that the Afghans have two frustrations. One is that they are 

aware of the threat that comes from Pakistan. They suffer greatly 

from that threat. There is a degree of impatience that comes with 

that awareness. 

The second is a growing concern with the lack of development of 

their government. 

19 

So, yes, we don’t have an unlimited amount of time here, Senator 

Kaufman. Time is not necessarily with us, unless we develop and 

implement a more effective strategy. 

Senator KAUFMAN. I know you said it several times, and I know 

people are interested. You explained kind of the moderate Taliban. 

I mean, I think to a lot of people there is only one kind of Taliban, 

and I think you explained very well what it is we are shooting for 

in terms of working with maybe the moderate Taliban. 

General EIKENBERRY. Senator, there are all kinds of Taliban, as 

you know. I remember attending a meeting with Afghan government leaders in 2004. One of the leaders stoop up and said, ‘‘You 

will recall that at one time, most of us here were Taliban.’’ There 

are former Taliban who serve in the parliament of Afghanistan. 

There was a very capable former Taliban who served as the Governor of Uruzgan. 

So it is critical that we make a distinction between who is the 

irreconcilable enemies of Afghanistan and those, through a process 

of reconciliation, who can be brought on side. 

Senator KAUFMAN. Obviously, there is no one better suited to 

deal with coordination between State and Defense, having held the 

Defense post there and now going into the State post. Can you talk 

a little bit about your ideas on how to better integrate how State 

and Defense work in Afghanistan? 

General EIKENBERRY. Well, first and foremost, Senator, is the example that gets set at the very top between the Chief of Mission, 

between the United States Ambassador, and between the senior 

U.S. military commander. We have seen that, generally, people 

down the chain will follow that example. 

Beyond this, we must integrate planning efforts between the U.S. 

Embassy and U.S. military command, of the NATO command, the 

United Nations mission and the entire international community. 

And, finally, we must increase our presence in the regions and 

provinces. 

And I am confident that the military in Afghanistan will welcome that increased presence. 

Senator KAUFMAN. Great. Kind of follow up on that. What do you 

see the state of developmental aid in Afghanistan right now? 

General EIKENBERRY. There has been—over the past 6 or 7 

years, there has been, Senator, some remarkable progress that you 

are aware that we can point to—roads being built, many schools 

being opened. 

A great example, in 2001, there were in Afghanistan, some 

900,000 boys going to Taliban schools. Today, there are 7 million 

children in school, and about 35 percent of those are females. 

What is needed, though, is more assistance provided to those 

ministries critical to central government control over the country. 

And then we need, as I had said earlier, to shift more resources 

to efforts at the district level. 

The distance between the Government of Afghanistan in Kabul 

and the districts is too great. We still today need to help the Afghans provide more aid and assistance to the rural areas, which 

are the most troubled and the most vulnerable to Taliban extremists and narco-traffickers. 

20 

Senator KAUFMAN. Can you talk just a few minutes about the 

opium trade, what your thoughts are? 

General EIKENBERRY. As I had said during my opening remarks, 

90 percent of the world’s opiates come from Afghanistan. Much 

work has been done to try to combat that problem, but there are 

two key metrics that we must consider. 

One metric of success, have we cut the connection of revenue 

from the opiate production to the terrorists and the insurgency? 

And the answer to that is no. 

The second metric for success is, have we been able to reduce significantly the degree to which the revenue of opiate production is 

undermining the Government of Afghanistan? And the answer to 

that question is also no. 

So in spite of gains that we have made, in the main we would 

have to look at our policies and the results that we have on the 

ground right now as falling far short of success. 

Efforts have to be made to try to develop a more coordinated 

strategy. It is complex. It has to do with law enforcement, building 

judicial systems. It has to do with education. It has to do with developing alternative economies, What is the right mix. 

But I would also ask if more authority be given to those in the 

ground to more agilely move funds from one area to another because it is an interlinked problem. And second, I firmly believe that 

we have to think through our agricultural programs, our agricultural development and subsistence programs. Those are key to develop alternative economies so that we can give Afghan farmers a 

real choice. 

All of this is, of course, underpinned by security. Wherever the 

highest amount of poppy is being cultivated, are areas which are 

the most insecure. 

Senator KAUFMAN. Thank you. 

And you know I am a big believer in the right person in the right 

place at the right time. And I think, because of your background, 

experience, and who are you, you are the right person at the right 

time. And I look forward to your working in Afghanistan, and I feel 

much better about our situation there. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

General EIKENBERRY. Thank you, Senator. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Kaufman. 

Senator Isakson. 

Senator ISAKSON. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

General Eikenberry, I have to say I have had concern that we 

had the potential for a perfect storm in the months ahead due to 

a deteriorating situation in Pakistan on one hand, and a failure of 

NATO to help us more in Afghanistan on the other. And when I 

met with you the other day, and you were kind enough to come to 

my office, I realized we had found the perfect nominee to face this 

perfect storm. 

I mean, you are coming from Brussels and NATO and going to 

Afghanistan. And given the fact you have been in 31 of 34 provinces of Afghanistan and served in the military there, I join the 

chairman and the others to commend the administration on your 

nomination. 

21 

Also, one of my dearest friend’s son, CPT Hunter Hill, was called 

up to go to Afghanistan, and his specific charge was to lead some 

of the training of the Afghan police forces. 

When CPT Hill returned, we had a number of conversations, and 

from what he told me, and from what I heard during your testimony, one of the key things we have got to do is law enforcement 

and civilian rule of law training because it is something that is not 

a part of the Afghani culture. And that it is not just training police 

officers. It is actually talking about the rule of law and training the 

civilian population to respect the rule of law and its enforcement. 

So you had mentioned in your printed, prepared statement, the 

FDD program? The Focused District Development, which is focused 

directly, I think, on training military. Can you expand a little bit 

on that? 

General EIKENBERRY. Senator, the Focused District Development 

program was an initiative that was begun about a year ago, and 

the genesis of the program was the recognition that we could train 

an unlimited amount of Afghan national policemen, but unless they 

were properly mentored over a longer period of time, that anything 

achieved during the training—any technical competencies, but 

more important, ethical values training—could not be sustained. 

And that gets back to the culture you are talking about. 

So the Focused District Development program calls for the policemen from a troubled district at risk from the insurgency, to be temporarily relieved by a highly trained replacement force. And then 

over about an 8-week period, these policemen are trained in an 

area outside of the district. They then return with better leadership, and there is permanent mentoring maintained with them. 

The results to date have not been 100 percent successful. Very 

little is in a very difficult environment like Afghanistan. But they 

continue to get positive reviews. But, what is impudent here—with 

all the of the institutions in Afghanistan—is that it is not only 

about initial training, but it is also about sustained mentoring over 

time. 

And this is really a very important shortfall that we still have 

with the police program. We don’t have an adequate number of police mentors. We should really expect our European allies to do 

more in this particular area. 

Senator ISAKSON. Yes, it seems like to me that when the Awakening took place in Anbar province in Iraq, it kind of was the sea 

change of difference when they came over and started helping enforce civilian law in Iraq. And if we can get the same type of thing, 

although it might not be an awakening in Afghanistan, we might 

have some military success. Maintaining it is going to depend on 

that police force. 

On NATO, since you are coming from NATO, I have two concerns. One, will they be willing to put the troops in necessary to 

complement what we are doing in our additional deployment, No. 

1? And No. 2, if they do, will the rules of engagement be sufficient 

that they can be effective? 

Because I know in certain cases, even though troops have been 

committed from NATO countries, there have been rules of engagement that were restrictive in terms of the activities that could take 

22 

place in Afghanistan. Any comments you would have on that I 

would like to hear. 

General EIKENBERRY. Senator, I think that NATO will send additional forces into Afghanistan to support the 20 August Presidential and provincial council elections. That will be important. 

Over time, what may be even more important for NATO is to provide more mentors, trainers, equipment, and money for the development of the Afghan national security forces. 

And then, as we have talked today, there is a need for more intellectual civiliam expertise of all kinds inside of Afghanistan, more 

resources, more money for reconstruction and development, more 

money for justice programs and rule of law programs. I think in 

that particular area not only NATO, but the entire international 

community not only needs to do more, but they should really be expected to do more. 

Senator ISAKSON. I guess my last question is focused on the border with Pakistan and the special operations there, but I have 

come to understand from listening to you and others that our military success in the long run is going to depend on more troops in 

the rural area and in the south part of Afghanistan. Is that correct? 

General EIKENBERRY. It is, Senator. 

Senator ISAKSON. OK. And that is where the Taliban, we anticipate, may make their next initiative? 

General EIKENBERRY. That is where—over the last 4 or 5 years, 

that is where they have been trying to expand their presence. They 

have sanctuaries inside of Pakistan, and from those sanctuaries, 

they have continued to build up strength and influence inside of 

areas of Afghanistan. And those areas are not only along the borders of eastern Afghanistan and southeastern Afghanistan, but 

they have extended into the interior parts of the country of Afghanistan. 

Senator ISAKSON. Well, I thank you for your testimony, and particularly I thank you for your willingness to serve. I think you are 

a terrific nominee for a very difficult post, but exactly the right 

time. 

General EIKENBERRY. Thank you, Senator. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Isakson. 

Senator Casey. 

Senator CASEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

And General, we welcome you here, and we appreciate your service, what you have done for this country in the past and what I 

know you will do for this country with this particular challenge 

that we have in Afghanistan. 

I have to say, we have a lot of nominees that come before us, and 

they are introduced by distinguished Americans, and their qualifications are reviewed and commended. But to have Senator Inouye 

and Senator Warner give you that kind of recommendation is high 

praise, indeed. 

In fact, I had to leave here to give a speech about the budget, 

and I was in the elevator with Senator Inouye. And he told me to 

make sure that we move this quickly. So we have another directive 

beyond what he said here. But we are grateful for what you have 

done. 

23 

I wanted to talk about something that has been bothering me 

lately because of the experience in Iraq, the sense that often the 

American people weren’t sure or we didn’t do a very good job telling them what the goals were, what the objectives are in Iraq. And 

I really worry that we are—we could be headed down the same 

path unless we are careful. 

The President has made a determination, based upon a review 

of what is happening in Afghanistan and based upon consultation 

with our military leaders and others on the ground, that we need 

an increase in our troop levels by an additional 17,000 troops. But 

I am very concerned and I think it is incumbent upon not only the 

President and his administration, but those of us in Congress to be 

very clear about why we are there, what the objective is, what the 

exit strategy is. 

And once we articulate that to the American people, once he does 

it and others amplify it, we have to keep saying it over and over 

and over again. Because unless we do that, all of the troop commitments, all of the resources, all of the good intentions won’t matter 

because when the going gets tough and the sacrifices get even 

greater, we have to be able to sustain support for this mission. 

So the objectives are very important, and also I think the language is very important. When I was in Iraq in the summer of 

2007, I said to both General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker, I 

said the President, then-President Bush, was using terminology 

like ‘‘victory’’ and ‘‘defeat,’’ which I thought was misleading. I 

thought it was misleading and inaccurate about what was going to 

happen in Iraq, no matter what the result was. 

So using that language is—even in this context I think is dangerous. Now maybe the word ‘‘success’’ is more accurate. So I really 

believe that we have a long way to go in articulating to the American people these basic points, the objectives of why we are there. 

The problem is we haven’t spent a lot of time talking to them 

about this war. We have talked a lot about Iraq, and we have had 

debates for years about Iraq. The American people have not heard 

enough from their Government about this conflict, and I know you 

have a concern about that as well. 

So can you talk to me about that in terms of how, as someone 

who has had a distinguished military career, who has been a diplomat as well and understands the difficulty of communicating a 

message and sustaining support for a difficult engagement? Talk to 

me about that in terms of the leadership you can bring to those set 

of questions. 

General EIKENBERRY. Senator, I tried to articulate our goals, our 

objectives, and the stakes in Afghanistan, in my opening remarks. 

Our strategic objective inside of Afghanistan and Pakistan is to disrupt and eventually defeat the international terrorist networks 

that still threaten our homeland. 

On the Afghanistan side, we must help the Afghans create the 

conditions so that international terrorism will never regain a sanctuary there. We can see what the outlines of that program look 

like. 

It is helping develop Afghan national security forces that increasingly can secure their own people. It is helping develop governance 

in Afghanistan and a rule of law system so that those security 

24 

forces operate in a foundation of good governance. It is also helping 

develop an economy so the Afghans can sustain themselves. All of 

this nested within a regional optimistic approach. 

It would be premature for me to talk about the strategic assessment. The President will very soon, I know, be talking to the public 

about his decisions with regard to that strategic assessment. 

What I would pledge, if confirmed as the Ambassador, Senator, 

is to work hard to communicate effectively to the American public 

and, of course, keep close contact with you. As I said, also in my 

opening remarks, I would welcome frequent trips of the United 

States Congress to Afghanistan in order for you to take stock of the 

situation firsthand, to make your own and, of course, to communicate your views to your constitutents. 

Senator CASEY. I appreciate that. I think it is critically important. 

I have about a half a minute left. One of the difficult assignments you will have is bridging the gap between the military, military officials and our civilians serving in Afghanistan. I just wanted to have you comment about that. You obviously have a lot of experience in this area and that it is important. 

General EIKENBERRY. Senator, it is vital. In the course of my career I have served as a member of country teams in China and in 

Kabul. I know the importance of the close cooperation between the 

military and the civilian sides. 

As I said earlier, I pledge to set a good example and a very positive example by showing close collaboration with General David 

McKiernan, the commander of NATO ISAF and the commander of 

U.S. forces. I will also try to set the best example as a team player 

within the international community. 

Senator CASEY. Thank you, General. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Casey. 

Senator DeMint. 

Senator DEMINT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Senator Lugar. 

General, thank you so much for your testimony today, and thank 

you for the courtesy visit to my office. I enjoyed getting to know 

you, and I do want to thank you for your honorable and selfless 

service to our Nation, as a soldier, as a commander. And you have 

taken on some significant challenges, and this may be the biggest 

one of all. 

In your previous tours in Afghanistan, you have got a lot of experience and a lot of relationships to build on, and that gives us a 

lot of confidence in your ability to take on this challenge. The fact 

remains that Afghanistan is a critical front in what will continue 

to be a global war on terror, despite what some might want to call 

it these days. 

But I seriously doubt that our troops consider this a run-of-themill overseas contingency deployment. You know that it is so much 

more than that, and they are taking the fight to terrorists on their 

turf instead of here in America. 

And as you know, until 2001, Afghanistan was an internationally 

neglected breeding ground for terrorist training and financing, and 

today, our brave men and women, along with our NATO partners 

and our other allies, battle terrorists who have been forced into the 

mountains and across into Pakistan. 

25 

While I applaud the renewed focus that we are now hearing on 

Afghanistan and the efforts to update our strategy, I still have a 

lot of concerns, and you have covered many of them already. But 

my trips and my staff trips to Afghanistan, one of the challenges 

I don’t think we have talked about much this morning really comes 

in the concern about United States assistance and the billions of 

dollars that we are spending in Afghanistan. 

With multiple campaign plans and 26 reconstruction teams acting kind of semi-independently, there doesn’t appear to be a comprehensive, coordinated vision of what we need to do. So I am really concerned about the coordination, the oversight of reconstruction 

activities. 

When I was there and what I have heard from a number of folks 

who have been there, there is more emphasis on competing for U.S. 

assistance money and actually more interest in spending money 

than actually making it effective. And the reports now are showing 

as high as 70 percent of what we direct toward Afghanistan never 

gets there. 

And so, in your role as Ambassador, I would just like you to talk 

for a moment about how we are going to deal with a lack of coordination, the duplication of effort across Afghanistan? How can we 

get a coordinated approach, which I think is going to be more the 

emphasis now than fighting and troops, it is going to be training 

and building. And it is that infrastructure that is going to be important. 

So if you would just take a few minutes of our time here and 

comment on how we can coordinate the money we are spending? 

General EIKENBERRY. Thank you, Senator. These are very important questions. 

I would make three points on the reconstruction and development aid and assistance. As I said and as you are aware, we have 

had some good results on the ground. But there are three very important challenges that we have. 

Right now, we have many donors and aid programs directly from 

nations through the United Nations, and from very excellent 

NGOs. But the overall results are not efficient. In fact, we often 

fail to avoid duplication and identify gaps, and the result then is 

wastage. 

The second problem that we have is that about 70 percent of 

money being allocated is not getting to the Afghan people. It is not 

getting to the real targets of the aid, the Afghan people. This has 

to be looked at very carefully: Multiple contracts, too many subcontractors, and too few Afghan subcontractors. 

The third problem is at the provincial level. Inside the Provincial 

Reconstruction Teams, the military had a fairly large pot of 

money—the Commander’s Emergency Response Program—but 

USAID and the Department of State do not have commensurate 

funds that can be flexibly disbursed. 

So perhaps we need to take a look at the mix of funds and authorities we provide at the provincial level. Senator, if confirmed, 

upon arriving in Afghanistan, I will asses these issues with the 

country team. 

Senator DEMINT. Well, thank you. 

26 

I know I have heard stories, for instance of—and this actually 

came from a missionary who got beyond where most of us are allowed to go when we were there—of money that was used to build 

a hospital. And so, they constructed it, but there were no plans to 

staff it or actually maintain it, but we spent the money for construction. So the part of the mission was accomplished, but it was 

not coordinated with the goal of actually operating a hospital and 

helping deliver healthcare. 

So you know that all better than I do, and you seem to have a 

grasp of what we need to do. But I think it is an incredible amount 

of money we are spending that maybe job two after winning the 

fighting part of the battle is making sure our money is spent well 

there. 

But thank you so much, and again, I appreciate your service to 

our country. 

Mr. Chairman, I yield back. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator DeMint. Appreciate that. 

Senator Feingold. 

Senator FEINGOLD. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I am pleased that we will soon be receiving the much- needed review of our policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan that President 

Obama has ordered. It is my hope that this strategy will address 

the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan with a comprehensive 

and regional approach, recognizing the critical role that Pakistan 

plays when it comes to our Nation’s security and, of course, to Afghanistan’s stability. 

Pakistan has been the home to a strengthened and reconstituted 

al Qaeda for many years now. And so, I think we have to ensure 

that our actions in Afghanistan, including sending additional U.S. 

troops, do not make the situation worse in either country. We cannot afford to take an overly Afghan-centric approach to a much 

broader problem. 

We also need to scale up our diplomatic engagement and redouble our commitment to reconstruction in order to help build a secure, stable Afghanistan in which insurgents and terrorists have no 

room to operate. We also need to keep in mind where the insurgents, along with al Qaeda, have found a safe haven—and obviously, as the witness knows very well, that is Pakistan—as we address a very complex and very serious threat to our national security. 

As we begin to shift to a new strategy, we will need an Ambassador who has a strong command of dynamics on the ground and 

in the region and can coordinate with many different actors, and 

I am pleased that General Eikenberry has been nominated to this 

post. I look forward to our discussion today. 

With the President’s policy review expected to be rolled out later 

today, there has been a lot of discussion about the role of our military in Afghanistan and how we can address the significantly increased insecurity when much of that insecurity, again, is coming 

from across the border in Pakistan. If the goal of our Afghan mission is to make sure ‘‘al Qaeda cannot attack the U.S. homeland, 

U.S. interests, and our allies,’’ as the President recently stated on 

60 Minutes, how does Pakistan fit into that picture? 

27 

General EIKENBERRY. Senator, the administration, the President, 

the Secretary of State have put great emphasis on a regional approach. They have stressed the interdependencies between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Indeed, a good part of the problem of the security situation in Afghanistan has to do with the al Qaeda and 

Taliban sanctuaries that existed and do exist inside of Pakistan. 

I think the administration will be continuing to emphasize a collaborative, combined regional diplomatic approach. With the appointment of Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan 

Richard Holbrooke, it’s clear the emphasis that the administration 

is placing on the Afghanistan-Pakistan combined approach. 

Some progress has been made. On the 24th and 25th of February, the administration invited leaders from the Afghan and the 

Pakistan Government to come to Washington, DC, for trilateral 

talks. The next round of those talks will be in early May. 

Very importantly, Senator, those talks will include not only economics, political issues, but they will specifically include intelligence. The way forward is clear, we will try to further intelligence 

collaboration between Afghanistan, the United States, NATO, Pakistan, and also to try to develop more collaborative security approaches. But this will not be easy. 

Senator FEINGOLD. Absolutely not, and I appreciate your response. But I just hearken back to what I think was one of the real 

low points in the last administration. I think I heard it in this 

room when a witness said that with regard to Iraq, we do what we 

must, and with Afghanistan, we do what we can. 

This policy better not end up being we do what we must with regard to Afghanistan and what we can with regard to Pakistan because that is not going to work. And your comments obviously suggest that you understand that well. 

For the most part, conventional wisdom has been and continues 

to be that an increase of U.S. troops in Afghanistan is the right 

course of action. I have, as you know, been asking some questions 

about this decision, as well as the logic of deciding to send more 

troops to Afghanistan before the comprehensive review has been 

completed. 

I am also concerned that there is not a sufficient increase in political engagement or development or, again, an adequate focus on 

Pakistan. So, your comments on that? 

General EIKENBERRY. The troops that—the 17,000 troops, Senator, that President Obama has committed to and which are currently being deployed will be deployed, will be sent to the eastern 

and southern Afghanistan and provide more security, along with 

Afghan National Army and Police, to the rural areas, where 

Taliban has gained control. 

They will be committed to training Afghan National Army and 

Afghan National Police and to partnering with them to develop further capacities. The decision was a timely decision, a decision that 

had to be made. 

The President still has to make his public announcements about 

his decisions. But after those have been made, I look forward to 

working with the administration and consulting with you about the 

implementation of that strategy. 

28 

Senator FEINGOLD. Finally, can you lay out for me what you 

think is most urgently needed in terms of supporting the Afghan 

Government while also ensuring that we maintain our credibility 

among the Afghan people? 

General EIKENBERRY. Two areas, Senator. First, more effort for 

building the Afghan national security forces and, secondly, more effort needed to build accountability and rule of law within Afghanistan, which is absolutely critical if the people of Afghanistan are 

going to stay on side with the government. 

Senator FEINGOLD. Thank you, sir. 

Mr. Chairman, I have finished my time. 

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Shaheen. 

Senator SHAHEEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

General Eikenberry, I apologize for missing your opening statement and much of this hearing. I had another commitment. But I 

do appreciate the critical nature of your nomination and the need 

to move forward as quickly as possible. 

I got a very personal reminder yesterday of just how critical our 

actions in Afghanistan are, when I talked to the parents of a 29- 

year-old Marine corporal from New Hampshire who was killed over 

the weekend in southern Afghanistan. And it was a very important 

reminder of making sure that our strategy in Afghanistan is worthy of the great sacrifices that men and women have made already 

in Afghanistan. 

So I do echo Senator Casey’s comments about the importance of 

being clear with the American people about what our strategy is 

there and what we hope to accomplish. 

We had an interesting panel—it was really a roundtable discussion—before this committee about a month ago on Afghanistan, 

and one of the participants was a woman named Sarah Chayes, 

who I am sure you are familiar with. And she made a very important point, as did several of the other members of the panel, about 

the importance not of our military activities in Afghanistan, but 

about the other actions that we take to support those that can win 

over the Afghani people, and spoke to the importance of agriculture 

in doing that and also about addressing the poppy trade. 

And I wonder if you could speak to both of those? And particularly when you talk about the poppy trade, if you could talk about 

whether you think the eradication efforts are working, and if they 

are not, what alternatives do we have? 

General EIKENBERRY. Thank you, Senator. 

I do know Sarah Chayes, and I have immense respect for her insights based upon firsthand experience inside of Afghanistan. 

With regard, Senator, to the poppy trade, and it actually relates 

strongly to agriculture. I had said earlier that getting a handle on 

this is indispensable to our overall success inside of Afghanistan 

and Pakistan. We are ceding increasing areas to Taliban and to 

narcotraffickers, which stand against the legitimate Government of 

Afghanistan, and it increases the threat to all of us. 

Not all of the narcotrafficking money, of course, is going to the 

Taliban. Some of that money is going to what should be the legitimate Government of Afghanistan. So it is a very severe problem, 

and we need a multi-pronged approach to what is a very complex 

problem. 

29 

We have to have better law enforcement, better justice systems, 

better education, the opportunity to produce alternative economies. 

And within that mix, eradication does play a role. There have been 

successful eradication programs. Interestingly, though, the most 

successful have been led by Afghan Governors and by the Afghans 

themselves. 

But I think the way forward will require, projecting the legitimate Government of Afghanistan’s influence throughout the troubled places of Afghanistan where poppy production is highest. 

There is a very direct correlation between where is the most poppy 

being grown and the absence of the Government of Afghanistan 

and its security forces. So this is critical. 

Second, it is essential that some of the big drug barons of Afghanistan are brought to justice. There has to be accountability. 

And third, the need to develop functioning agricultural economies 

is really going to be essential here. It is not necessarily true that 

it is only in the areas of Afghanistan where there is no agricultural 

potential that poppy flourishes. Indeed, Helmand province, where 

a lot of poppy is being grown, is potentially a rich agricultural area. 

But delivering a comprehensive approach to help train farmers, 

develop rural roads that allow farmers to get their crops to market, 

and microfinancing is going to require much more effort on our 

part, and from the international community. I think that we should 

be and are exploring initiatives which will enable us to do this. 

Senator SHAHEEN. Thank you. 

I know there has been some discussion about Pakistan, a lot of 

discussion about the role of Pakistan and what happens in Afghanistan. But can you also talk about efforts to also try and engage 

India? Obviously, what happens between India and Pakistan is 

going to be important to get Pakistani attention to what is happening in the tribal areas. 

But can you talk about how important you think it is to engage 

India in supporting our efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan? 

General EIKENBERRY. Senator, India makes a very positive contribution toward Afghanistan’s development. It provides good agricultural programs. It has been a generous aid donor. It also has 

good capabilities for developing the Afghan civil service. 

So, India has a very important role to play, as do all of Afghanistan’s neighbors. 

Senator SHAHEEN. And does that role create any tension with 

Pakistan? 

General EIKENBERRY. Pakistan and India have had a very difficult relationship at times, which—over the years—has seen points 

of severe tension and points of rapprochement. It is critical that the 

United States and other nations within the region find ways to 

have cooperative approaches made toward Afghanistan. It must not 

become a location of competition, but instead a location for cooperation. 

Senator SHAHEEN. Thank you very much. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Shaheen. 

General, we are almost wrapped up here, but I do want to probe 

a little bit a couple of areas that concern me. And particularly one 

based on the answer that you gave to Senator Casey’s question. 

30 

Senator Casey asked you sort of about the general mission, et 

cetera, and keeping the support of folks. And you started to run 

down a list of things that we need to do, and I think I heard you 

say developing a system of government, developing an economy, et 

cetera. I began to get worried when I hear you saying all that. That 

is not what I certainly defined—I mean, there is some component 

of that, but that is, in my judgment, not our mission. 

And I want to hear with clarity what you are saying the mission 

is or what you understand it to be as we come out of this review 

because there are just going to be some limits, I think, speaking 

realistically. I think you have a sense of that. 

So, yes, we have to help them develop a system. But that is 

very—I mean, that is sort of what President Bush described, and 

that is not what I view as the current definition of the mission as 

we are thinking about it. We have to help them to help themselves. 

It is not up to us to develop a system of government. We have to 

help them to develop their economy, and it is up to the Europeans 

and a lot of people to be part of that. 

So I would like to hear you sort of reiterate with a clarity sort 

of how we are approaching this mission. 

General EIKENBERRY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Success in Afghanistan, and in Pakistan, is defeating al Qaeda 

and international terrorism that threatens our country. In order to 

achieve that, creating the conditions in Afghanistan so that we 

don’t have the environment of the 1990s, which allowed al Qaeda 

and international terrorism to have open sanctuary, and safe haven 

in of Afghanistan. 

The CHAIRMAN. But al Qaeda is fundamentally not in Afghanistan today? 

General EIKENBERRY. Their presence inside of Pakistan, of 

course, fuels the insurgency and fuels attacks of terror inside of Afghanistan. 

The CHAIRMAN. But the mission of Afghanistan with respect to 

al Qaeda is to keep them from coming back. Correct? 

General EIKENBERRY. That is correct, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. I mean, they have been driven out. They are not 

there. 

So with respect to al Qaeda—I mean, the quandary here is that 

the place where al Qaeda is, we aren’t, and the difficulty is nor are 

the Pakistani Army or Government. There is some frontier corps 

that has the ability to penetrate here and there, but events in the 

northwest province in Swat seem to indicate an enormous challenge in that part of the area that none of this that we have talked 

about on Afghanistan is going to impact. 

I guess I should rephrase that. Success, if we are successful in 

reducing their capacity to penetrate Afghanistan, I think that will 

embolden our capacity in Pakistan. 

General EIKENBERRY. I believe also, Mr. Chairman, that your 

characterization is correct. If I was characterizing it as ‘‘we will develop’’ as opposed to ‘‘we will assist the Afghans develop,’’ then I 

would like to stand corrected because this is about enabling the Afghans to develop governance and rule of law, enabling the Afghans 

to develop their own security forces, enabling the Afghans to develop a sustainable economy. 

31 

Those are the three critical components. When they come together, success would be defined then as an Afghan state strong 

enough to deny safe haven for international terrorism. We can succeed in Afghanistan, it is true. But if we don’t address the problem, 

the linked problems in Pakistan, then we will have no lasting solution. 

But I would also say, Mr. Chairman, that if we don’t move forward to try to achieve the success in Afghanistan as just outlined, 

then al Qaeda and their confederates will move into ungoverned 

space in Afghanistan as they did before, and they will set up shop 

there again. 

The CHAIRMAN. I concur with that, and I think that is the most 

significant rationale for why we have to find a footprint that works 

to prevent them from doing that. I know the President has three 

different sort of tiered alternatives in front of him as to how we 

might do that. 

What I am concerned about, and I think we have to be really 

careful of it, is—and you are an expert at this, and that is one of 

the reasons why we are glad you are going there. But finding that 

balance and the right level of that footprint where it is not so great 

that or incompetent that we are inviting people to push us out, 

that we invite an unwelcome departure, is critical. At the same 

time, we don’t want to have such a level of military engagement 

and footprint that we are also inviting an unwelcome departure. 

So this is a very delicate balance, and I think in the process we 

want to be careful of how much we raise the stakes ourselves, on 

ourselves. The mission is to keep al Qaeda from coming back. It 

may take the Afghans a little longer to develop their government, 

but they haven’t proven in the last 6 years a particular disposition 

to want to do that, frankly, and that is one of the reasons why the 

Taliban have been able to move back in because of the absence of 

governance. 

So I don’t have a lot of—I mean, we want the government to succeed, but I think our strategy, as I think it is, is beginning to focus 

on how we empower people locally and provincially and otherwise 

and play to some of the tribal realities historically that would reempower people locally to be able to take control of their lives and 

reject the Taliban. Is that a fair statement of the balance here? 

General EIKENBERRY. Senator, without the President having 

made his public announcements on the strategic assessment, I 

would be premature in commenting. The particular balance, 

though, that you are talking about is certainly part of the equation. 

After the assessment has been decided upon, if I am confirmed, 

I would look forward then to implementing that strategy and to 

staying in close consultation with you—— 

The CHAIRMAN. Are you confident—are you confident, General, of 

the ability of the level of forces that we are talking about to maintain a sufficient level of security that we can actually enforce this 

transformation at the local level? 

General EIKENBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I would ask for time to look 

at the assessment, and look at the numbers that are being discussed. What I know is that regarding the Afghan National Army, 

their growing competence provides a real opportunity, and there 

are more possibilities with the police. 

32 

And this gets back to your point about making sure that this is 

Afghan led and enabled and is not all about our own forces. 

The CHAIRMAN. And just a final question. With respect to Pakistan, do you have any recommendations to the committee as to 

what steps you think are feasible, immediately tangible, that could 

make a difference with respect to the border and the FATAH and 

what has happened in the northwest province? What is your sense 

of the ideal of what would make a difference? 

General EIKENBERRY. Chairman, trying to get immediate gains, 

as you know, is very difficult in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But 

what will be important is more honest collaborative exchanges of 

intelligence and a willingness to conduct combined operations between the United States, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. 

Second, focused aid and assistance programs to the Pakistan 

military that can give them the capabilities and the wherewithal 

to attack al Qaeda and the extremists that are along the border 

areas and in the northwest frontier province. 

And third, helping the Pakistanis develop effective aid programs, 

just as you have talked about Afghan development, it is important 

that the Pakistani authorities adopt the same approach on their 

own side of the border and find ways to collaborate with Afghanistan to create combined win-win economic programs. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, General. 

Senator Lugar, are you all set? 

Senator Shaheen, do you have any more questions? 

Well, General, we really appreciate your willingness to take this 

very complicated task on, and we wish you well in it. 

We are going to meet next Tuesday. The record will stay open 

just for 24 hours in case anybody has any written question they 

want to submit. I don’t think there will be. But we will try to expedite this out next week, and hopefully, your bags are packed, and 

you are ready to go. 

Thank you, sir. 

General EIKENBERRY. Thank you very much, Chairman. 

My wife has told me that our bags are packed. 

The CHAIRMAN. Good to hear. Thanks. 

We stand adjourned. Thank you. 

[Whereupon, at 11:17 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.] 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT

Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this important hearing today. General 

Eikenberry, congratulations on your nomination, and thank you for your tremendous service to our Nation. I have no doubt that your professionalism, wisdom, and 

vast experience—including service in key positions in Afghanistan and Brussels— 

will be tremendous assets to the administration as it formulates, coordinates with 

our NATO allies, and implements its policies in Afghanistan. 

It has been nearly 8 years since the U.S. began military operations in Afghanistan. It should come as no surprise to anyone that, while coalition and Afghan forces 

have made gains against Taliban and al Qaeda operations, these gains have too 

often been fragile and reversible. Within the paradigm of a ‘‘clear and hold’’ strategy, our forces have demonstrated the former but our policy has, frankly, lacked a 

cohesive, sustainable approach to the latter. Throughout much of the country, the 

strength of the Afghan central government is tenuous at best, and the Taliban and 

33 

al Qaeda continue to operate with impunity in large expanses of Afghanistan and 

neighboring Pakistan. The violence, terrorism, weak governance and burgeoning 

drug trade in those areas represent a great challenge to American security and interests and those of our European allies. 

What’s long been missing, in my view, is a coherent U.S. national policy—a clear 

statement of our objectives and a clear plan for achieving them. The previous administration took its eye off the ball, with catastrophic consequences, and it is our 

obligation to put things on track. We need to work with our NATO allies—to consult 

with them and listen to them—and agree on a strategy to which each of us can 

bring our strengths. I’m among those who have chafed at our allies’ ‘‘caveats’’ on 

their participation, but I’m also among those who have chafed at our failure to develop a strategy that maximizes what each can bring to the battle. In this regard, 

I welcome France’s return to full and active NATO membership. 

The challenges we face in Afghanistan must be approached holistically. Just 

throwing more troops onto the battlefield is not a solution. We must recognize that 

military force alone cannot overcome the challenge. We need a strategy for civilian 

government to ‘‘hold’’ what coalition military forces ‘‘clear’’—a strategy that builds 

the political and civilian capacity of the Afghan Government. Such a strategy must 

also include a renewed focus on humanitarian and economic development, particularly in remote rural areas in which the drug trade, the Taliban and al Qaeda exploit the lack of any government presence. 

General Eikenberry, as the President’s personal representative and our country’s 

senior diplomat in Kabul, you will be an important partner in the rigorous examination of our military strategy and tactics in Afghanistan. I do not doubt for a moment 

the immense difficulty of conducting combat operations in Afghanistan, or the bravery of our soldiers and those of our NATO allies. But we run a risk of alienating 

the Afghan population if we can’t convince them that we are taking every possible 

step, as I know we do, to avoid accidental civilian casualties. We must win the support of Afghans across the country in order to help them build a safe, stable, and 

secure country. 

In addition to rethinking our civil-military strategies inside Afghanistan, I believe 

that we must recognize the broader regional challenges we face, and in that regard 

I applaud the appointment of Ambassador Holbrooke as Special Envoy to Pakistan 

and Afghanistan as an important step forward. The instability in Afghanistan is inextricably linked with security problems in Pakistan. It is only through a combined 

diplomatic, political, and military effort involving Afghanistan’s neighbors that we 

can adequately address this conflict. When appropriate, this should include better 

sharing of intelligence, improved coordination, and most important, better bilateral 

cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

The tasks ahead are challenging but not impossible. The Obama administration 

has already taken a number of positive steps—and your nomination is among the 

most significant—and I am optimistic of major progress. Thank you again for your 

service, and I look forward to working with you in your new capacity. 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN

I am very pleased that we will soon be receiving the much-needed review of our 

policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan that President Obama ordered. It is my hope 

that this strategy will address the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan with a 

comprehensive and regional approach, recognizing the critical role Pakistan plays 

when it comes to our national security and, of course, to Afghanistan’s stability. 

Pakistan has been the home to a strengthened and reconstituted al Qaeda for many 

years now, and we must ensure that our actions in Afghanistan—including sending 

additional U.S. troops—do not make the situation worse in either country. We cannot afford to take an Afghan-centric approach to a much broader problem. 

We also need to scale up our diplomatic engagement and redouble our commitment to reconstruction in order to help build a secure, stable Afghanistan in which 

insurgents and terrorists have no room to operate. But we also need to keep in mind 

where the insurgents, along with al Qaeda, have found a safe haven—Pakistan— 

as we address a very complex and very serious threat to our national security. 

As we begin to shift to a new strategy, we will need an ambassador who has a 

strong command of dynamics on the ground and in the region, and can coordinate 

with the many different actors. I am pleased that General Eikenberry has been 

nominated to this post and look forward to our discussion today. 

34 

RESPONSES OF AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE KARL EIKENBERRY TO

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD BY SENATOR JOHN F. KERRY

Question. How does the Obama administration define the mission in Afghanistan 

(e.g., our specific goals)? 

Answer. On March 27, the President said the goal of our mission in Afghanistan 

is to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to 

prevent their return to either country in the future. Our mission in Afghanistan is 

focused on confronting a common enemy that threatens the United States, our 

friends and allies, and the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan who have suffered 

the most at the hands of violent extremists. 

Question. How—specifically—will the administration’s strategy toward Afghanistan differ from that of its predecessor? 

Answer. On March 27, the President said the goal of our mission in Afghanistan 

is to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to 

prevent their return to either country in the future. The administration has also indicated its new approach by appointing Ambassador Richard Holbrooke to serve as 

Special Representative for both countries and to work with GEN David Petraeus to 

integrate our civilian and military efforts. As the President stated on March 27, the 

administration’s goal is to enhance the military, governance, and economic capacity 

of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and defeat an enemy that heeds no borders or laws 

of war. 

Question. As Ambassador, would you report through the Special Representative 

for Afghanistan and Pakistan, or the Assistant Secretary of State for South and 

Central Asian Affairs—or both? If both, please explain how you see this coordination 

working in practice. 

Answer. I envision a strong working relationship with all senior policy members 

of the administration, if confirmed as Ambassador. As Ambassador, I would be the 

President’s personal representative reporting to him through the Secretary of State 

and the Special Representative. I would also expect to coordinate closely with other 

senior officials. 

Question. We have heard for a number of years that greater civil-military coordination is required—both within the U.S. Government, and among the military and 

civilian branches of our allies. What lessons would you bring to the civilian effort 

based on your two tours of military service in Afghanistan? 

Answer. My professional experience in Afghanistan has reinforced my belief that 

to achieve greater success in Afghanistan, full civilian-military capabilities must be 

completely integrated and mutually supportive. My staff and I would meet regularly 

with our military counterparts to ensure coordination of our efforts to strengthen 

Afghan capacity in governance, security, and development. 

Question. What specific steps do you envision taking to improve coordination 

between the U.S. Embassies in Kabul and Islamabad to make sure our activities 

along the border are coordinated? 

Answer. I envision strong coordination with our Embassy colleagues in Pakistan. 

To ensure our activities along the border are coordinated, I believe frequent conversations with Ambassador Patterson and integration of our country teams through 

constant information exchange is integral to defeating enemy safe havens in the border region. Both Embassies have border coordination officers who are in close touch 

and we would use those officers as well as new mechanisms such as interagency 

trilateral meetings to ensure better coordination. 

Question. The August elections will be an important opportunity for the central 

government in Kabul to respond to growing local concerns over governance. How 

will you and your staff work to ensure elections are free and fair and not marred 

by security, logistics, and budget concerns? 

Answer. The U.S. Government and the international community are providing expertise and financial support in coordination with the Afghan Independent Election 

Commission and the United Nations to ensure legitimate and secure elections in 

August. I would ensure that joint planning between Afghan officials and international representatives is cohesive and focused on ensuring that Afghan voters will 

be able to make their choices freely and fairly. 

Question. As the current Deputy Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee and 

the Commander of Combined Forces Command–Afghanistan, you have had considerable experience working with our allies. What will be your advice to President 

35 

Obama on this front before the 60th anniversary NATO summit scheduled for April 

3–4, 2009? 

Answer. Our allies have a critical role to play in Afghanistan. I would note that 

many of our allies have indicated a strong desire to be more effective in Afghanistan 

and specifically to support this administration’s new strategy, including through the 

appointment of Special Representatives and the provision of more civilian and military resources. We will need to focus on areas of strength for our allies as we consult with them on what more they can do to work with us and the Afghans. 

Question. Earlier this month, President Obama discussed the idea of negotiations 

with some Pashtun leaders who had previously supported the Taliban—presumably 

groups who are willing to renounce violence and join the political process. Who do 

you identify as reconcilable elements in Afghanistan with whom we might be able 

to reach a political settlement? 

Answer. Integration of reconcilable elements into Afghan society must be Afghanled and we will support the Afghan Government in developing a reconciliation effort 

led by provincial governors. 

Question. How do you characterize Iran’s current and potential future role(s) in 

Afghanistan? What type of interaction, if any, will U.S. diplomats have with Iranian 

representatives at the upcoming Hague Conference on Afghanistan? 

Answer. The President stated on March 27 his intent to forge a new contact 

group, together with the United Nations, for Afghanistan and Pakistan that brings 

together all who have a stake in the security of the region, including Iran. We welcome the participation of Iran in the Hague Conference, which will be an opportunity for all to reiterate their interest in a secure and stable Afghanistan. 

RESPONSES OF AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE KARL EIKENBERRY TO QUESTIONS

SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD BY SENATOR ROBERT P. CASEY, JR. 

CIVILIAN-MILITARY RELATIONSHIP

Question. General Eikenberry, you are one of a few senior military officers to be 

nominated as a United States Ambassador. You will be our most senior diplomat 

in Afghanistan, but you also have a long and distinguished military career which 

will shape your perspective. You are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between 

our civilian and military officials serving in Afghanistan, a challenge cited by several experts as the U.S. enters a critical phase in the war. The Obama administration rightly focuses on our military priorities, but it should also be concentrating on 

post-conflict and long-term development strategies—missions our civilian agencies, 

like the Department of State, Agency of International Development, and Department of Agriculture, are highly proficient at executing. 

The Obama administration has emphasized that, for too long, U.S. national security has over-relied on our military instruments of power at the expense of civilian 

instruments like diplomacy and development. The President and Secretary of State 

have made clear that they intend to change that skewed balance. 

Are you concerned that the nomination of a career military officer to one of our 

most critical diplomatic posts undercuts that message of change? 

As the head of our country team in Afghanistan, how will you attempt to foster 

improved coordination between our military and civilian officers? How will you balance the competing priorities of our services and other government agencies? 

Did your tour as Commander of Combined Forces Command–Afghanistan prepare 

you at all for the challenge of facilitating civil-military operations? 

Answer. I believe that my professional experience has prepared me well for the 

position as the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan. My professional experience in Afghanistan has reinforced what I have learned throughout my career—lasting security can only be delivered through coordinated diplomatic, economic, and 

military means. Secretary Clinton has identified the same priority objective of integrating civilian and military capabilities in support of the mission identified by the 

President. She has assigned exceptionally capable and experienced senior Foreign 

Service officers to the Kabul mission leadership team for this specific purpose. If 

confirmed, I look forward to working with all members of the country team to enhance civilian and military coordination for a unified effort. 

NATIONAL ELECTIONS AND THE WRIT OF THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT

Question. In August, Afghanistan will hold national elections, and President 

Karzai could face serious challengers. He has long been depicted as ‘‘America’s guy,’’ 

36 

but blanket American support for Karzai appears to be waning. The administration 

did not react positively to Karzai’s insistence that elections be held in the spring, 

which contradicted the Afghan Election Commission’s view that security conditions 

would be more favorable in August. I also have particular concerns about the magnitude of corruption that has plagued Karzai’s government the past couple of years, 

and I am unsure he has the mandate of authority outside Kabul to convince provincial Afghans to support the central government instead of the Taliban. 

You already have a relationship with President Karzai from your tour in Afghanistan; what type of influence can you exert on the President to deal with corruption 

more effectively? Can you assess Karzai’s chances in the August election? Does the 

Obama administration intend to support Karzai, or any candidate, in this year’s 

elections, or should the U.S. stay neutral? 

How prevalent is support for the Taliban right now? Has Karzai’s inability to extend the mandate of the government into the provinces and tackle corruption increased support for the Taliban? 

What role do Provincial Reconstruction Teams play in building local governmental 

capacity in order to attract Afghans away from the Taliban? 

Answer. August elections will be an Afghan-led process offering the people of 

Afghanistan the opportunity to choose their own leadership. The United States supports a free, fair, and open process for elections without a preference for any candidate. 

The Afghan Government has taken initial steps to tackle the problem of corruption, but a culture of impunity continues to thrive. The United States will continue 

to work with the Government of Afghanistan and the donor community to reduce 

corruption and promote government legitimacy. We judge that overall support for 

the Taliban is not high and that there is little ideological support. 

Provincial Reconstructions teams will work with local representatives of the Independent Electoral Commission and other Afghan and U.N. officials to facilitate holding legitimate and secure elections. This work will be a key element of their overall 

mission to develop Afghan civilian expertise at the provincial and district levels. The 

teams will also coordinate their efforts with any international elections monitors 

who will be important in ensuring the legitimacy of the elections. 

Question. President Karzai’s term ends in May, but elections are not planned until 

August. If the United States supports Karzai staying in his capacity as President 

until the elections, it could be viewed by Afghans as implicit U.S. support for 

Karzai’s candidacy, should he seek reelection. 

How will the administration handle the potential power vacuum between the end 

of Karzai’s term in May and elections in August? Do you agree that if Karzai holds 

office between May and August, Afghans will perceive this as American endorsement of his candidacy? 

Answer. The United States had called upon Afghanistan’s leaders to find a formula within the constitutional framework for ensuring the continuity, legitimacy, 

and stability of government through the election period from May to August. On 

March 29, the Supreme Court of Afghanistan determined that President Karzai 

should remain in office until a new leader is chosen. The United States strongly 

supports the decision of the Supreme Court and urges all Afghans to support this 

ruling. The United States has no preference for any particular candidate. 

AFGHAN REFUGEES

Question. Since 2002, nearly 5 million Afghan refugees have returned from Pakistan and Iran. This is indeed an accomplishment for the Government of Afghanistan 

and the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees. Yet, UNHCR estimates 

that roughly 3 million Afghan refugees continue to live in camps in Pakistan and 

Iran. Not only is this a serious humanitarian concern, but I also believe the refugee 

crisis has the ability to be a destabilizing force in Afghanistan and along its borders. 

What steps will the U.S. Embassy take to work with UNHCR and the Afghan 

Government on the resettlement of Afghan refugees? 

President Obama will dispatch Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Patrick Moon to Moscow to engage Iran on Afghanistan; would you recommend to the 

President that the U.S. put the refugee crisis on the United States-Iranian agenda? 

Answer. If confirmed, I look forward to working with the Refugee Coordinator’s 

office within the Embassy, UNHCR, and the Afghan Government on the best approach to refugee returns to ensure long-term success of the overall return effort. 

Building capacity will be key to ensuring implementation of the Afghan Government’s initiatives for refugees, returnees, and internally displaced persons. 

37 

The United States and Iran share a common interest in ensuring protection for 

refugees. I look forward to strengthening further and supporting multilateral mechanisms for finding solutions to this humanitarian challenge. 

RESPONSES OF AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE KARL EIKENBERRY TO QUESTIONS

SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD BY SENATOR ROBERT MENENDEZ

USAID CASUALTIES IN AFGHANISTAN

Question. USAID and the Government Accountability Office have reported that a 

total of 407 persons employed on USAID-funded projects in Afghanistan were killed 

during the period 2002–October 31, 2008. This figure includes USAID contractors, 

subcontractors, direct hire employees, and locally hired employees. 

Afghanistan presents a risky environment for conducting development work, but 

carrying out such work, in the areas that are most vulnerable to insurgent attacks, 

is a critical component of our mission there. If the administration’s plans for 

Afghanistan include a substantial increase in the number of civilians working at the 

provincial and district levels, it is likely there will be a corresponding increase in 

the number of USAID and other civilian employees who will be injured or killed. 

Based on your prior experience in Afghanistan, do you feel the U.S. Government 

has done an adequate job in protecting civilian employees who are working on development and reconstruction projects? 

Answer. Parts of Afghanistan pose extremely dangerous environments. The situation on the ground varies significantly across parts of the country and has changed 

over time. The anticipated increase in the presence of USAID contractors, subcontractors, direct and locally hired employees in the coming year will pose security 

challenges. If confirmed, I will make the protection of the lives of American civilians 

and the local citizens we employ in support of our mission a top priority. 

Question. As Chief of Mission, how would you strike a balance between the need 

to adequately protect civilian employees from harm, and the need for civilians to engage with Afghans on a local level? 

Answer. The security situation in Afghanistan is increasingly difficult. If confirmed, I will review and assess our security guidelines and procedures in Afghanistan to ensure we afford the best protection to all U.S. and local civilian employees, 

as we execute our mission. Key areas of emphasis are the best use of all sources 

of intelligence, the utilization of the most effective technologies and equipment, and 

the adoption of the best procedures and risk assessment methodologies. Maintaining 

excellent working relationships with NATO–ISAF, U.S. Forces Afghanistan, and the 

Afghan National Security Forces is also important. Last, I will ensure that the Embassy’s Regional Security Office strikes a proper balance between the need to adequately protect civilian employees from harm, and the need for civilians to engage 

with Afghans on a local level. 

AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION FUNDS

Question. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction recently 

testified before the House Armed Services Committee that the Afghan Government 

and ministries are seeking to be more involved in planning and contracting for reconstruction projects. 

Based on your experience in Afghanistan, what role do you think Afghan ministries should play in planning and contracting for U.S.-funded reconstruction 

projects? 

Answer. Building the capacity of the Afghan Government is a priority of the international community. There are several excellent examples in Afghanistan of capable 

ministers and ministries competently planning and implementing nationwide programs. I intend to build upon these successes and wherever possible ensure that 

money allocated for the development of Afghanistan is used in Afghanistan and not 

dispersed through unnecessary layers of expensive contractors. In all cases, our assistance could aim to accomplish the purpose of the project through building Afghan 

capacity. 

Question. If confirmed, what would you consider your responsibilities to be as 

Chief of Mission in overseeing the expenditure of U.S. reconstruction funds in 

Afghanistan, and mitigating waste? 

Answer. If confirmed, I will consider overseeing the effective expenditures of all 

U.S. reconstruction funds one of my top priorities. I have a responsibility to the 

President, the Congress, and the American people to accurately account for U.S. 

38 

spending in Afghanistan and aggressively seek to mitigate waste. In this regard, I 

believe the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) plays 

an important and positive role. I look forward to working closely with the Special 

Inspector General to achieve our shared goals. 

CORRUPTION

Question. Transparency International has ranked Afghanistan as one of the most 

corrupt countries in the world, and U.N. Special Envoy Kai Eide describes corruption in Afghanistan as being ‘‘endemic.’’ Corruption at the highest levels of the national government has contributed to a general loss of confidence in government officials, a situation that has been exploited by the Taliban. 

As Ambassador, what steps would you take to confront the culture of corruption 

that has so weakened the Afghan national government? 

Answer. Corruption is endemic in Afghanistan and one of the greatest challenges 

to establishing the rule of law. If confirmed, I look forward to working with the 

Afghan Government UNAMA and the donor community to seek concrete, achievable 

benchmarks to fight corruption. We must help train and mentor our Afghan partners to develop necessary fiscal planning and delivery skills, and ensure accountability through transparency underpinned by a functioning legal framework. 

RESPONSES OF AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE KARL EIKENBERRY TO QUESTIONS

SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD BY SENATOR JIM DEMINT

COUNTER NARCOTICS

Question. General, I understand there are some very successful training programs 

right now in Afghanistan. Among them, the Afghan Narcotics Interdiction Unit, 

which I understand made the biggest drug bust in history last June—confiscating 

more than 261 tons of hashish, with a street value of $400 million. 

Can you comment on the success of the Narcotics Interdiction Unit? It appears 

that this training program has been much more effective than the INL Civilian 

Police Training program. As Ambassador what will you do to support effective counternarcotics programs? 

Answer. The National Interdiction Unit has established a positive track record. 

It is one of three small, specialized vetted units within the Counter Narcotics Police 

of Afghanistan. The success of the unit demonstrates progress that can be made 

with focused training and mentoring. We have seen some progress within the Civilian Police Training program realized through the ongoing implementation of the 

Focused District Development Program. However, there exists today very serious 

problems of leadership accountability, corruption, inadequate material resources, 

severe shortage of international police trainers, and the lack of a comprehensive 

approach to the development of an Afghan justice system. If confirmed, I look forward to close coordination with all U.S. Government agencies and in support of the 

President’s strategy for effective counternarcotics programs, and close collaboration 

with key international organizations. 

AFGHAN POLICE TRAINING

Question. General, we continue to hear that there is a need to train police at the 

local level—and that funds to the central government in Kabul are simply not filtering down to small villages across the country to build security and safety for the 

Afghan people. I understand there has been a requirement for 2,500 police mentors 

to be deployed across Afghanistan at the local level, and this requirement has remained unfilled since 2006. 

Do you believe these mentor teams are vital to provide security and build the 

trust of the Afghan people in the villages? Do you support filling the requirement 

for Police Mentor Teams? 

Answer. Pairing Police Mentor Teams (PMTs) with the Afghan National Police 

has increased ability of the police to perform patrols, conduct checkpoints and manage the daily requirements of policing and community outreach at the local and district level. An essential element for a police unit to reach operational independence 

is its ability to provide security and to be a trusted resource for the local population. 

39 

Through outreach to local leaders and a more visible and established presence, 

Afghan National Police are developing the necessary skills to develop trusted relationships with local populations. The deployment of an additional 4,000 troops for 

mentoring and training the Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army, as 

recently announced by the President, will assist overall efforts, but the international 

community must also do much more. If confirmed, I will support the efforts of the 

Department of State and Defense Department to provide additional civilian police 

personnel and then ask our allies to assist in this critical effort. 

Æ