Karl Eikenberry

Lieutenant General (ret.)
Karl W. Eikenberry
Ambassador Eikenberry at Stanford University in 2013
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 (1951-11-10) November 10, 1951
Spouse(s) Ching Eikenberry[1]
Residence Morgan Hill, CA[2]
Alma mater United States Military Academy (B.S.)
Harvard University (M.A.)
Stanford University (M.A.)
Military service
Nickname(s) Karl
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch  United States Army
Rank Lieutenant General
Battles/wars War in Afghanistan

Karl Winfrid Eikenberry (born November 10, 1951)[3] is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan from April 2009 to July 2011. He is currently the Oksenberg-Rohlen Fellow and Director of the U.S. Asia Security Initiative at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center. He is also a Stanford University professor of the practice; a member of the Core Faculty at the Center for International Security and Cooperation; and an affiliated faculty member at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, and The Europe Center.[4][5]

In addition to his work at Stanford, Eikenberry is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences where he co-directs the Academy's multiyear project on civil wars, violence, and international responses, and is a member of the Academy's Commission on Language Learning. He serves on the board of The Asia Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, American Councils for International Education, and the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. He also is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Academy of Diplomacy, and Institute for International Strategic Studies.

Early life and education

Eikenberry was born in 1951 and graduated from Goldsboro High School in Goldsboro, North Carolina, in 1969.[6] He then attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation in 1973.[7]

He received an M.A. in East Asian Studies from Harvard University, where he would later return as a National Security Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He also earned an M.A. in political science from Stanford University.[8] In addition, Eikenberry has studied in Hong Kong at the UK Ministry of Defence Chinese Language School, earning the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Interpreter’s Certificate for Mandarin Chinese, and at Nanjing University, earning an advanced degree in Chinese history.[9]

Military career

With US Army Aviation CH-47 crew and Pakistan Army Liaison Officer in Pakistan when commanding the US-led coalition Kashmir earthquake disaster relief operations, October 2005.

In the Army, Eikenberry commanded and held staff positions in airborne, ranger, and mechanized infantry units in the United States, Korea, and Europe. He also served as Assistant Army Attaché and later as the Defense Attaché in the United States Embassy in the People's Republic of China. His other political-military assignments included Senior Country Director for China and Taiwan in the Office of Secretary of Defense, Foreign Area Officer Division Chief and Deputy Director of the Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate on the Army Staff,[10] and Director of Strategic Planning and Policy Directorate, United States Pacific Command, Camp Smith, Hawaii.

Eikenberry served two tours of duty in the war in Afghanistan.[11] His first tour in Afghanistan, from September 2002 to September 2003, he filled two positions—his primary duty was as the U.S. 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 Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Pakistan Lakhdar Brahimi to forge a unified international effort to build a cohesive security sector.

Security sector reform (SSR) followed a lead-nation approach agreed upon in January 2002, in which the G8 nations would each lead a specific sector—the United States was responsible for the Afghan National Army; Germany, the Afghan Police; UK, counter-narcotics; Italy, judicial reform; and Japan and the United Nations took on the task of disarming, demobilizing, and reintegrating the militias.[12] In his role as Chief of the OMC-A he was the chief architect of the strategy that established the new Afghan National Army.

Eikenberry succeeded Lieutenant General David Barno as Commander, Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, on May 4, 2005.[13] During his second tour from May 2005 to February 2007, he was responsible for transferring operational responsibility for southern and eastern Afghanistan to the NATO International Security Assistance Force and the international training of the Afghan National Army and Police Forces. He also commanded the military task force sent to Pakistan to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the wake of the October 8th, 2005 Kashmir earthquake. He completed his military career in Brussels, Belgium as the Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.[9]

Ambassador

Visiting Afghan provincial elders as US ambassador in 2009

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.[11] The official announcement of his nomination was made on March 11.[14] Following his confirmation as ambassador, he retired from the U.S. military with the rank of Lieutenant General on April 28, 2009. As the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, he led the civilian surge directed by President Obama, overseeing the growth of the embassy staff from 350 to 1400 civilian personnel from eighteen United States Government departments and agencies, and the administration of bilateral development assistance budget of over $4 billion USD annually.

Leak of classified cables

In November 2009, Eikenberry sent two classified cables to his superiors in which he assessed the proposed U.S. 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,[15] 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".[16] In June 2010, General McChrystal was described in a Rolling Stone profile 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 an unreliable partner for the United States in its efforts in Afghanistan.[17]

Career at Stanford University

After his position as ambassador in Afghanistan, in September 2011 Eikenberry became the Payne Distinguished Lecturer at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University[18] and subsequently the William J. Perry Fellow in International Security at the Center for International Security and Cooperation. While at Stanford University, Eikenberry has joined the faculty of the Ford Dorsey Program in International Policy Studies, served as a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences congressionally mandated Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences, acted as a consultant for NATO and the RAND Corporation, and lectured and written on civil-military relations, U.S. Asia-Pacific strategy and Sino American relations, counter-insurgency and state-building strategies, and the contribution of the arts and humanities to America’s international competitiveness.

Writings

  • Eikenberry, Karl W. (February 1988). "The Imjin War" (PDF). 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. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007.
  • 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.
  • Eikenberry, Karl W., Hennessy, John L., Sheehan, James J., Kennedy, David M. and Perry, William J. (Spring 2012). "The Future of the American Military" (PDF). American Academy of Arts & Sciences: Bulletin. 65 (3).
  • Eikenberry, Karl W. (January 2013). "The Militarization of US Foreign Policy" (PDF). American Foreign Policy Interests. 35: 1–8. doi:10.1080/10803920.2013.757952.
  • Eikenberry, Karl W.; Kennedy, David M. (May 26, 2013). "Americans and Their Military, Drifting Apart". New York Times.
  • Eikenberry, Karl W. (September 2013). "The Limits of Counterinsurgency Doctrine in Afghanistan". Foreign Affairs.
  • Eikenberry, Karl W. (December 2013). "Reassessing The All-Volunteer Force". The Washington Quarterly. 36: 7–24. doi:10.1080/0163660x.2013.751647.
  • Eikenberry, Karl W. (June 2014). "The American Calculus of Military Intervention". Survival: Global Politics and Strategy (3 ed.). 56: 264–271. doi:10.1080/00396338.2014.920157.
  • Fukuyama, Francis; Eikenberry, Karl W. (September 2014). "Friendless Obama needs Middle Eastern allies of convenience". Financial Times.
  • Eikenberry, Karl W. (2014). "Thucydides Trap". American Review: Global Perspectives on America.
  • Eikenberry, Karl W. (June 2015). "China's Place in U.S. Foreign Policy". The American Interest. 10 (6).
  • Eikenberry, Karl W. (Fall 2017). "Civil Wars and Global Disorder: Threats and Opportunities" (PDF). Daedalus, Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 146 (4).

Awards and decorations

Personal decorations and badges

Eikenberry's personal decorations include:[9]

U.S. military decorations
 Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with 3 OLC)
 Defense Superior Service Medal (with 2 OLC)
 Legion of Merit (with OLC)
Bronze Star
 Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with OLC)
 Meritorious Service Medal (with 5 OLC)
Joint Service Commendation Medal
 Army Commendation Medal (with 4 OLC)
 Army Achievement Medal (with OLC)
U.S. unit awards
 Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with 2 OLC)
 Army Superior Unit Award (with OLC)
U.S. non-military decorations
State Department Distinguished Honor Award
State Department Superior Honor Award
State Department Meritorious Honor Award
Director of Central Intelligence Award
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award
U.S. service (campaign) medals and service and training ribbons
Bronze star
Bronze star
 National Defense Service Medal (with 2 Service Stars)
Bronze star
Bronze star
 Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (with 2 Service Stars)
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon (with bronze award numeral 4)
U.S. badges, patches and tabs
Combat Infantryman Badge
Expert Infantryman Badge
Master Parachutist Badge (United States)
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
Army Staff Identification Badge
Ranger Tab
Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (United States Army) – Former War Time Service (SSI-FWTS).
5 Overseas Service Bars

Non-U.S. service medals and ribbons

Foreign military and civil decorations

Foreign badges

Academic Awards

Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Centennial Medal

Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters Degree, North Carolina State University [20]

Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree, Ball State University [21]

Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters Degree, University of San Francisco [22]

Other

George F. Kennan Award for Distinguished Public Service

State of North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award [23]

Goldsboro High School Athletic Hall of Fame [24]

In August 2007 Eikenberry was given the key to the city of Goldsboro, North Carolina by the mayor.[25]

References

  1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/articles/2010/07/03/ching-eikenberry-letter-from-kabul.html
  2. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/05/31/a-retired-general-was-tapped-for-leadership-at-northwestern-but-opponents-derailed-the-appointment/
  3. ↑ Watson, C.A. (2008). U.S. National Security: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. p. 142. ISBN 9781598840414. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  4. ↑ "Freeman Spogli Institute".
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ Sousa, Greg (2007-08-22). "Hometown general visits" (Paid subscription required). Goldsboro News-Argus. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  7. ↑ "Karl Eikenberry". Classmates. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
  8. ↑ https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/who_is_who_139939.htm, Deputy Chairmen of the NATO Military Committee, Jan 10, 2017, retrieved Feb 20, 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 "Deputy Chairman of the Military Committee: Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry". NATO. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  10. ↑ "About the Author". Institute for National Strategic Studies. Archived from the original on January 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
  11. 1 2 Schmitt, Eric (2009-01-29). "Obama Taps a General as the Envoy to Kabul". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  12. ↑ Fatima Ayub; Sari Kouvo; Rachel Wareham (April 2009). "Security Sector Reform in Afghanistan" (PDF). IFP Security Cluster Case Study. International Center for Transitional Justice. p. 9.
  13. ↑ "Defense.gov News Article: Eikenberry Takes Command of Coalition Forces in Afghanistan". defense.gov. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  14. ↑ Mason, Jeff (2009-03-11). "Obama picks U.S. ambassadors to Iraq, Afghanistan". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  15. ↑ Eikenberry, Karl (2010-01-25). "Ambassador Eikenberry's Cables on U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  16. ↑ Eric Schmitt (January 25, 2010). "U.S. Envoy's Cables Show Worries on Afghan Plans". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ Weaser, Natasha (June 7, 2012). "Karl Eikenberry: On Afghanistan, China and life at Stanford". The Stanford Daily.
  19. ↑ "Czech Republic Military Awards and Decorations". army.cz. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  20. ↑
  21. ↑
  22. ↑
  23. ↑
  24. ↑
  25. ↑ Myers, Aness (2007-08-21). "Eight homes in city's sights" (Paid subscription required). Goldsboro News-Argus. Retrieved 2010-06-23.

Interviews

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
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