http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/world/asia/hamid-karzai-afghanistan.html 2014-09-23 17:43:13 In Farewell Speech, Karzai Lashes Out at American Agenda Speaking to his cabinet and senior staff members, the departing Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, said the United States “did not want peace for Afghanistan.” === KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s departing president, Hamid Karzai, used his final speech to his cabinet and senior staff members to make a bitter swipe at the United States and some of its Western allies on Tuesday, blaming them for many of the country’s ongoing problems. “America did not want peace for Afghanistan, because it had its own agendas and goals here,” he said. “I have always said this: that if America and Pakistan want peace, it is possible to bring peace to Afghanistan.” The American ambassador, James B. Cunningham, responded quickly and publicly to the Afghan president’s remarks. “They were ungracious,” he said. “It makes me kind of sad. I think his remarks, which were uncalled-for, do a disservice to the American people and dishonor the sacrifices that Americans have made here — the huge sacrifices that Americans have made here and continue to make here.” Mr. Karzai went out of his way to thank countries like India, which has spent $1 billion in foreign aid here and scheduled another $1 billion, but not his Western allies of the past 13 years. The United States alone has spent more than $100 billion dollars on development aid to Afghanistan, not counting military aid, and many European countries have also donated huge amounts. “I want to thank those countries who genuinely supported us. Western countries had their personal interest, the Western countries and the United States had their own personal goal,” Mr. Karzai said. “I believe the stability of Afghanistan is directly related to United States and Pakistan,” Mr. Karzai said. “If the United States and Pakistan want, peace can be brought to Afghanistan because it is not our war and there is no fight among the Afghans. It is not a combat among the people living in this soil. This war is for the personal interest of foreign policies and this is fight of outsiders in which Afghans are sacrificed.” Mr. Cunningham, who had planned to leave Afghanistan after the election was complete, was unusually frank. He has been ambassador for three years, during which time the relationship between Mr. Karzai and American officials has become increasingly hostile. “By not recognizing the many contributions that Americans have made, and our partners, that’s the part that’s ungracious and ungrateful,” Mr. Cunningham said. "The good news, however, is that I am absolutely confident in reassuring Americans that Afghans themselves absolutely value and are grateful for the sacrifice and the commitment of the United States to the future of this country.” Mr. Karzai exempted Germany, which had no real combat presence in Afghanistan but did have a training role, from his criticism of Western countries. Germany’s total nonmilitary aid to Afghanistan has been reported to be in the $4 billion to $5 billion range from 2002 until now.