Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker Statement Regarding the Assassination of Professor Rabbani

September 22, 2011

Ambassador Crocker: Good afternoon.

The United States condemns in the strongest terms the assassination of Professor Rabbani, former president of Afghanistan and the head of the High Peace Council. As President Obama said yesterday, Professor Rabbani was a man who cared deeply about Afghanistan and made enormous contributions to rebuilding his country. His leadership will be deeply missed. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family and to the people of Afghanistan.

I have just paid a condolence call on the Rabbani family, and I am heartened by their determination to see that his important work for peace continues.

We also extend our thoughts and best wishes for a speedy recovery to Minister Stanakzai, who was wounded in the attack. He too is a man who cares deeply about his country and its future.

This is a sad time, but it is not a time for despair. Professor Rabbani gave his life in the cause of peace, and the search for an Afghanistan where his countrymen could live in freedom and safety.

Now is the time for all Afghans who care about peace and a better tomorrow to join together to forge the national unity that was Professor Rabbani's ultimate goal, and the reason he agreed to serve as the chair of the High Peace Council.

The United States and the international community stand united with you in that important effort. President Obama has made that clear.

This assassination was carried out by killers, who disguised themselves as emissaries coming to Professor Rabbani in the name of peace. It demonstrates the utter disregard the terrorists have for Afghans and for the future of this country.

The brutal murder of a national statesmen who sought to promote outreach in the interest of bringing peace to his country raises very serious questions as to whether the Taliban and those who support them have any real interest in reconciliation.

We have always known that there are those who will do all they can to undermine the cause of peace and reconciliation. They will not deter us from the task of defeating our common enemy where necessary and of finding peace where possible.

We renew our commitment to supporting the critical work of the High Peace Council in advancing Afghan reconciliation and the work of the Afghan security forces in fighting terrorists, whose violent acts stand in direct contradiction to the peace Afghans desire and deserve.

We will continue to build our strategic partnership with Afghanistan. We will be here as a partner to the Afghan government and people of Afghanistan to realize our common goal of building a peaceful, prosperous, democratic Afghanistan that is free from this kind of terror and those who would perpetrate it.

In this time of tragedy, President Karzai and his government need the support of all Afghans and the international community in the quest for peace. He has ours. Together we must show the enemies of Afghanistan that acts of terror will not succeed.

Tashakkor; salaam aleikum.