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Gen. Stanley McChrystal: Afghans Are Like Teenagers, We Have 'Emotional Responsibility' to Continue Occupation
McChrystal: 'I would certainly like to see American businesses in Afghanistan'
Jan 08, 2013
Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of US troops in Afghanistan and counterinsurgency architect, gave an interview to The Associated Press published Monday in which he compared Afghans to teenagers, and said the US has an "emotional responsibility" to continue occupying the country.
McChrystal said that Afghans don't want a full troop withdrawal.
"Like a teenager, you really don't want your parents hanging around you, but ... you like to know if things go bad, they're going to help," he said.
"We have an emotional responsibility" to leave US occupying forces in Afghanistan, he told AP.
McChrystal offered other news agencies more of his take on the ongoing war in Afghanistan as he makes appearances to promote his new memoir.
Speaking to USA Today, McChrystal describes an Afghanistan 10 years from now when American "advisors and trainers" will be working with Afghan forces. In addition to these armed forces, he says he "would certainly like to see American businesses in Afghanistan."
As for drones, their real problem, he told Reuters on Monday, is not civilian casualties but one of perceptions.
"What scares me about drone strikes is how they are perceived around the world," he said.
They foster a "perception of American arrogance that says, 'Well we can fly where we want, we can shoot where we want, because we can.'"
McChrystal resigned hours after the release of a George Polk Award-winning Rolling Stone article by Michael Hastings that profiled the general and his inner circle.
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Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of US troops in Afghanistan and counterinsurgency architect, gave an interview to The Associated Press published Monday in which he compared Afghans to teenagers, and said the US has an "emotional responsibility" to continue occupying the country.
McChrystal said that Afghans don't want a full troop withdrawal.
"Like a teenager, you really don't want your parents hanging around you, but ... you like to know if things go bad, they're going to help," he said.
"We have an emotional responsibility" to leave US occupying forces in Afghanistan, he told AP.
McChrystal offered other news agencies more of his take on the ongoing war in Afghanistan as he makes appearances to promote his new memoir.
Speaking to USA Today, McChrystal describes an Afghanistan 10 years from now when American "advisors and trainers" will be working with Afghan forces. In addition to these armed forces, he says he "would certainly like to see American businesses in Afghanistan."
As for drones, their real problem, he told Reuters on Monday, is not civilian casualties but one of perceptions.
"What scares me about drone strikes is how they are perceived around the world," he said.
They foster a "perception of American arrogance that says, 'Well we can fly where we want, we can shoot where we want, because we can.'"
McChrystal resigned hours after the release of a George Polk Award-winning Rolling Stone article by Michael Hastings that profiled the general and his inner circle.
Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of US troops in Afghanistan and counterinsurgency architect, gave an interview to The Associated Press published Monday in which he compared Afghans to teenagers, and said the US has an "emotional responsibility" to continue occupying the country.
McChrystal said that Afghans don't want a full troop withdrawal.
"Like a teenager, you really don't want your parents hanging around you, but ... you like to know if things go bad, they're going to help," he said.
"We have an emotional responsibility" to leave US occupying forces in Afghanistan, he told AP.
McChrystal offered other news agencies more of his take on the ongoing war in Afghanistan as he makes appearances to promote his new memoir.
Speaking to USA Today, McChrystal describes an Afghanistan 10 years from now when American "advisors and trainers" will be working with Afghan forces. In addition to these armed forces, he says he "would certainly like to see American businesses in Afghanistan."
As for drones, their real problem, he told Reuters on Monday, is not civilian casualties but one of perceptions.
"What scares me about drone strikes is how they are perceived around the world," he said.
They foster a "perception of American arrogance that says, 'Well we can fly where we want, we can shoot where we want, because we can.'"
McChrystal resigned hours after the release of a George Polk Award-winning Rolling Stone article by Michael Hastings that profiled the general and his inner circle.
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