In an emotional interview with the Washington Post, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has opened up about his disappointment with the way the U.S. has fought the war in his country, saying the high number of civilian casualties made him question whether the war had been worth it.
Karzai has been known for his at times vocal and adversarial stance towards the U.S. military, saying that noncombatant deaths had eroded what “common cause” Kabul and Washington had.
“I had no other weapon to resort to, no other means to resort to, but to speak publicly and get attention that way,” he told the Post. “In other words, I was forced to yell.”
The U.S. military’s efforts to reduce civilian casualties have not mollified Karzai, who said “Afghans died in a war that’s not ours” and added that his emotions would not subside until “two, three or five years from now.”
Leading the reporters out of his office, Karzai told them to give the American people “my best wishes and my gratitude” but to send “my anger, my extreme anger” to the U.S. government.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Fight to Free Evan Gershkovich
- Meet the 2024 Women of the Year
- John Kerry's Next Move
- The Quiet Work Trees Do for the Planet
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Column: The Internet Made Romantic Betrayal Even More Devastating
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com