U.S. Ambassador Attempts to Dissuade Obama from Troop Surge

Eikenberry's concerns seem to be focused on the obvious corruption in Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government. Karzai is known to have an array of questionable characters as close advisers and his policies seem to tend toward serving drug dealers and warlords throughout Afghanistan. Obama is surely considering Karzai's role and his performance at this time and a recent quote from the White House seems to underscore the importance of a stable and effective Karzai government.

"The President believes that we need to make clear to the Afghan Government that our commitment is not open-ended," a White House official told journalists. "After years of substantial investments by the American people, governance in Afghanistan must improve in a reasonable period of time to ensure a successful transition to our Afghan partner."

All of this is boiling at a time when Obama is said to be considering four possible actions with regards to sending more troops and resources into Afghanistan. The plans call for between 15,000 and 40,000 troops to be sent to Afghanistan, with the largest number being called for by the current U.S. commander on the ground in Afghanistan.

The most glaring issue with the recent statements by Eikenberry is that he was also a commander on the ground in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007, so he knows firsthand what's happening there. If he is stepping up to denounce the idea of a troop surge, then President Obama is going to be forced to address his concerns.