Karzai's actions ‘reckless,’ Donilon says

Karzai's actions ‘reckless,’ Donilon says

December 01, 2013, 10:40 am

By Kyle Balluck

http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/middle-east-north-africa/191669-donilon-karzai-reckless-not-to-sign-security

Former Obama National Security Adviser Tom Donilon on Sunday said that Afghan President Hamid Karzai is being “reckless” in not signing a security agreement with the U.S.

“President Karzai should go ahead and sign the agreement. It's been approved by a very large assembly of leaders in Afghanistan. 2,500 leaders got together, looked at the proposed agreement with the United States, after December 31, 2014, and asked -- and recommended to President Karzai that he sign it,” Donilon said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“President Karzai should sign it, because I think it's in Afghanistan's interests, and I think it's in our interest.”

“That said, his refusal to sign at this point I think is reckless,” Donilon added. “I think it's reckless in terms of Afghanistan, and I think it also adversely impacts our ability to plan coherently and comprehensively for post-2014.”

The White House has threatened to withdraw all U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan if Karzai doesn’t sign the long-term agreement this year.

But Karzai has not budged, insisting that he will wait until after the Afghan presidential elections next spring before the agreement is signed.

Karzai has also added new demands he wants met before signing an agreement the U.S. believed to be finalized.

“… if the United States doesn't have a bilateral security arrangement with Afghanistan that supports its troop presence there and provides the kinds of protections that we need, the United States cannot be present in Afghanistan after December 31st, 2014,” Donilon said.

He also warned of the “cascading effects” of a U.S. pullout.

“If the United States isn't there, NATO allies won't be there, because NATO allies rely on the capabilities that the United States provides. We won't have the same kind of support for the Afghan national security forces.”

Donilon dodged a question about whether Karzai’s defiance of the White House risks the gains that have been made in the war.

“We think at the end of the day, it will be better to have continued support for the Afghan national forces and have a small counter-terrorism presence in Afghanistan. But again, as I said, the United States has a lot of options in terms of protecting its interests in the region. "

ABC

Ronald J. Doerfler was the SVP & CFO for ABC Inc., a director at the Lazard Group LLC, a director at the Lazard Ltd., and is the SVP for the

Hearst Corporation.

Note: Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is a director at the Lazard Group LLC, a director at the Lazard Ltd., an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), was the president of the Economic Club of Washington, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank), and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros is the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Ivo H. Daalder was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), the director for European Affairs for the National Security Council, and the U.S. permanent representative for NATO.

David M. Rubenstein is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), the president of the Economic Club of Washington, a friend of Thomas E. (Tom) Donilon, was a benefactor for the Aspen Institute (think tank), and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Thomas E. Donilon is a friend of David M. Rubenstein, was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), White House deputy national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Henrietta Holsman Fore is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank), and a member of the Belizean Grove.

Belizean_Grove is the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.

Henry A. Kissinger was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank), a member of the Bohemian Club, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

William Randolph Hearst was a member of the Bohemian Club, and the founder of the Hearst Corporation.

Ronald J. Doerfler is the SVP for the Hearst Corporation, a director at the Lazard Group LLC, a director at the Lazard Ltd., and was the SVP & CFO for ABC Inc.