Karl Eikenberry
| Lieutenant General Karl W. Eikenberry MSC |
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|---|---|
 |
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| Eikenberry in the Oval Office, December 2009 | |
| United States Ambassador to Afghanistan | |
| In office April 29, 2009 – July 25, 2011 |
|
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | William Braucher Wood |
| Succeeded by | Ryan Crocker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1951 (age 61–62) |
| Spouse(s) | Ching Eikenberry |
| Alma mater | United States Military Academy (B.S.) Harvard University (M.A.) Stanford University (M.A.) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Army |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan |
Karl Winfrid Eikenberry (born 1951)[1] is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General and former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. He is currently the Frank E. and Arthur W. Payne Distinguished Lecturer at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University.[2]
Contents |
Education [edit]
Eikenberry graduated from Goldsboro High School in Goldsboro, North Carolina in 1969[3] and then attended West Point, where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation in 1973.[4]
He received an M.A. in East Asian Studies from Harvard, where he would later return as National Security Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and an M.A. in political science from Stanford,[5] where he was also a Ph.D candidate.[6] In addition, Eikenberry has studied in Hong Kong at the UK Ministry of Defence Chinese Language School, earning the Foreign Office's Interpreter’s Certificate for Mandarin Chinese, and Nanjing University, earning an advanced degree in Chinese History.[5]
Military career [edit]
In the Army, Eikenberry commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 87th Infantry Regiment (Light) in the 10th Mountain Division, and commanded and held staff positions in airborne, ranger, and mechanized infantry units in the United States, Korea and Europe. He also served as an assistant Army attache in the American Embassy in the People's Republic of China, and then as division chief with the Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate of the United States Department of the Army Staff in Washington, D.C.[6]
Eikenberry served two tours of duty in the war in Afghanistan.[7] His first tour in Afghanistan was from September 2002- September 2003. During this time he filled two positions; his primary duty was as the United States Security Coordinator for Afghanistan and the second position was the Chief of the Office of Military Cooperation-Afghanistan (OMC-A). As the Security Coordinator he worked closely with UNSG Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi to forge a unified international effort to build a cohesive security sector. This Security Sector Reform (SSR) project included building the Afghan National Army (U.S.), reforming the Afghan Police (Germany), Counter-Narcotics (U.K.), Judicial reform (Italy), and Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration of the militias (Japan and U.N.). In his role as Chief of the OMC-A he was the chief architect of the strategy that built and fielded the first Afghan Army Corps. During his second tour he was Commander of the Combined Forces Command for 18 months, leaving in 2007 to become the Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.[5]
Ambassador [edit]
On January 29, 2009, The New York Times reported that President Barack Obama had chosen Eikenberry to be the next U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, replacing William Braucher Wood. The choice of a career army officer for the sensitive post was described by The Times as "highly unusual". On April 3, 2009, the Senate confirmed Eikenberry's nomination, and on April 29, 2009, he was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan.[7] The official announcement of his nomination was made on March 11.[8] Following his confirmation as ambassador, he retired from the U.S. military with the rank of Lieutenant General on April 28, 2009. Eikenberry has been allowed to bring his family and wife, Ching, to live with him in Kabul.
Leak of classified cables [edit]
In November 2009, Eikenberry sent two classified cables to his superiors in which he assessed the proposed US strategy in Afghanistan. A description of the content of the cables was leaked soon after. In January 2010, the New York Times obtained and published the cables[9] which "show just how strongly the current ambassador feels about President Hamid Karzai and the Afghan government, the state of its military, and the chances that a troop buildup will actually hurt the war effort by making the Karzai government too dependent on the United States."[10] In June 2010, General McChrystal was described in a Rolling Stone magazine story as feeling blindsided by Eikenberry's statements in the leaked cables. On the other hand, Eikenberry is described elsewhere as being frank and vocal about his concerns about the Karzai government as being a reliable or unreliable partner for the U.S. in its efforts in Afghanistan.[11]
Writings [edit]
- Eikenberry, Karl W. (February 1988). "The Imjin War". Military Review 68 (2): 27–82.
- Eikenberry, Karl W. (1994). "The campaigns of Cao Cao". Military Review 74 (8): 56–64.
- Eikenberry, Karl W. (February 1995). Explaining and Influencing Chinese Arms Transfers. McNair Papers. Washington, D.C.: Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University.
- Eikenberry, Karl W. (Summer 1996). "Take No Casualties". Parameters 26 (2): 109–118.
- Eikenberry, Karl W. (November 2009). "Ambassador Eikenberry's Cables on U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan". New York Times.
- Eikenberry, Karl W. (May 2012). "Stop Ignoring Taiwan". Foreign Policy.
Awards and decorations [edit]
Personal decorations and badges [edit]
Eikenberry's personal decorations include:[5]
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Foreign military and civil decorations [edit]
Meritorious Service Cross (M.S.C.) Canada
Cross of Merit of the Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic, First Class [12]- Alliance Medal (Hungary)
French Officer Order of the Legion of Honor- State Medal of Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan (Afghanistan)
- State Medal of Ghazi Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan (Afghanistan)
Non-U.S. service medals and ribbons [edit]
- NATO Medal for Yugoslavia
Foreign badges [edit]
- German Parachutist Badge (German: Fallschirmspringerabzeichen)
Other [edit]
In August 2007 Eikenberry was given the key to the city of Goldsboro, North Carolina by the mayor.[13]
References [edit]
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Freeman Spogli Institute". Karl Eikenberry.
- ^ Sousa, Greg (2007-08-22). "Hometown general visits" (Paid subscription required). Goldsboro News-Argus. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ^ "Karl Eikenberry". Classmates. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
- ^ a b c d "Deputy Chairman of the Military Committee: Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry". NATO. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ^ a b "About the Author". Institute for National Strategic Studies. Retrieved 2009-02-01.[dead link]
- ^ a b Schmitt, Eric (2009-01-29). "Obama Taps a General as the Envoy to Kabul". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ^ Mason, Jeff (2009-03-11). "Obama picks U.S. ambassadors to Iraq, Afghanistan". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ^ Eikenberry, Karl (2010-01-25). "Ambassador Eikenberry's Cables on U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ^ Eric Schmitt (January 25, 2010). "U.S. Envoy’s Cables Show Worries on Afghan Plans". New York Times. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
- ^ see Obama's Wars by Bob Woodward, 2010, Simon and Schuster, especially Chapter 18 (pp. 212-221), about internal discussions in the White House about what path to pursue in Afghanistan.
- ^ Czech Republic Military Awards and Decorations
- ^ Myers, Aness (2007-08-21). "Eight homes in city's sights" (Paid subscription required). Goldsboro News-Argus. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
External links [edit]
- The Runaway General:Stanley McChrystal, Obama's top commander in Afghanistan, Rolling Stone (June 22, 2010)
Interviews [edit]
- Interview with Asia Source (May 2, 2006)
- Interview with NPR (February 13, 2007)
- Afghanistan: A Campaign Assessment at Harvard Institute of Politics (March 20, 2007)
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by David Barno |
Commander, Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan 2005–2007 |
Succeeded by David D. McKiernan |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by William Braucher Wood |
U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan 2009–2011 |
Succeeded by Ryan Crocker |
|
- Living people
- Harvard University alumni
- John F. Kennedy School of Government staff
- Recipients of the Bronze Star Medal
- Recipients of the Legion of Merit
- American military personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- United States Army generals
- United States Military Academy alumni
- Officiers of the Légion d'honneur
- People from Goldsboro, North Carolina
- 1951 births
- Ambassadors of the United States to Afghanistan
- Recipients of the Army Commendation Medal
- Recipients of the Joint Service Commendation Medal
- Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
- Recipients of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal
- Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Recipients of the Cross of Merit of the Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic
- Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
