Afghanistan loves General McChrystal. Eikenberry? Not so much.

File this under "statements that aren’t helpful." Here’s Afghan government spokesman Waheed Omar weighing in on the Stanley McChrystal flap: The president believes that Gen. McChrystal is the best commander that NATO and coalition forces have had in Afghanistan over the past nine years." That’s a nice compliment for McChrystal, but it’s also a back-handed ...

File this under "statements that aren't helpful." Here's Afghan government spokesman Waheed Omar weighing in on the Stanley McChrystal flap:

File this under "statements that aren’t helpful." Here’s Afghan government spokesman Waheed Omar weighing in on the Stanley McChrystal flap:

The president believes that Gen. McChrystal is the best commander that NATO and coalition forces have had in Afghanistan over the past nine years."

That’s a nice compliment for McChrystal, but it’s also a back-handed slap at Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, who commanded the U.S.-led efforts in Afghanistan for 18 months in 2006 and 2007.

Eikenberry the current U.S. ambassador in Kabul, isn’t impressed with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and said as much in a leaked memo that made McChrystal furious. In the Rolling Stone article, McChrystal says he felt "betrayed" by the memo, and accuses Eikenberry of "cover[ing] his flank for the history books." Omar’s comments probably won’t help the two men get along.

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