Has he heard of Hawaii?

Karl Eikenberry, Amabassador to Afghanistan, is hurt. Hamid Karzai's words about the relentless bombing and civilian deaths are "hurtful and inappropriate", he says. America's presence - permanent presence if the administration has its way - in Afghanistan is for the Afghans' own good. Further - the emphasis is mine:

"I must tell you that I find occasional comments from some of your leaders hurtful and inappropriate," Eikenberry said, according to a transcript released by the United States embassy in Kabul.

"When Americans who are serving in your country at great cost in terms of lives and treasure hear themselves compared with occupiers, told that they are only here to advance their own interest and likened to the brutal enemies of the Afghan people, they are filled with confusion and grow weary of our effort here."

Eikenberry acknowledged that the US had made "mistakes" in Afghanistan but insisted that Americans were "good people" who had "never sought to occupy any nation in the world".

"Yet when we hear ourselves being called occupiers and worse, our pride is offended and we begin to lose our inspiration to carry on," he added.

First up, telling someone who says he wants you to go away that his words are so hurtful you aren't sure you can keep on going - I'm just not sure that proves you understood him, or actually will make him shut up.

And second, playing the bewildered, hurt, do-gooder card? So over. So over.