Sunday, June 27, 2010

America’s General, Afghanistan’s Friend

Letter to The New York Times by Khoshal Sadat published June 27, 2010

Kabul, Afghanistan

I serve my country, Afghanistan, in uniform, as did my father and his father before him. I have known many military officers, but not one who better represents what soldiers stand for — honor, sacrifice and courage — than General Stanley McChrystal, who until last week was the commander of American and NATO forces here.

During my time as the general’s aide-de-camp, what struck me was how much he cared about what others thought and what they felt, even the most junior person in the room — which was, more often than not, me. We were frequently visited by some of the most important American and international leaders, and whenever they questioned the general about Afghanistan, he would always turn to me and say, “Let’s ask an Afghan.”

I was so proud, as an Afghan, to serve under this General McChrystal. Let me tell you why:

I was 13 when I came to hate the Taliban and knew that someday I would have to fight them. A woman who lived on our street was walking home, with her baby in one arm and her shopping in the other. Her little daughter was close behind, holding on to her mother’s covering. My neighbor was having difficulty walking because of the mud and lifted her burqa for just a moment so she could see better how to cross the road. Taliban members ran up from behind and began to beat her head and back with a long length of thick, metal cable. I watched as she dropped her own baby in the ditch and screamed from the pain.

It was many years until American forces came here and when they did, I remember my teacher telling our class this was a good thing, that now there was hope for Afghanistan.

After nine long years of war, General McChrystal once again revived that feeling of hope in Afghans. He made the war about protecting the people and gave us the strength to fight. The general has always been a man of his word and quickly earned our absolute respect. He became a hero to us. In a country with a long history of great men, he became one of them. He became one of us.

General McChrystal represents, to me, what is best about Americans. He is strong and determined but also gracious, courteous and compassionate in every circumstance and situation. When he would walk in the markets or visit our villages he would listen to Afghans and respect their traditions and customs. When speaking with young soldiers he would make them so proud of their duty.

Those of us who had the highest privilege to work on his staff were given great responsibility, and great trust. He was especially generous with his trust.

I never had the opportunity to say goodbye to General McChrystal. I hope he will return when there is peace in Afghanistan, because he will be the father of that peace.

Khoshal Sadat, an officer in the Afghan Special Forces, was an aide-de-camp to General Stanley McChrystal from February until last week.

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