Endless Afghanistan?

[AWP]

Considering the source I'm reluctant to be spun up over it just yet, but if true I'm hardly surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised. I know the Afghans are holding a Loya Jirga this week and it still needs parliamentary approval, but the fact that our position is so open-ended even as we're closing major bases...

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...e-and-funds-flowing-perhaps-indefinitely?lite

KABUL – While many Americans have been led to believe the war in Afghanistan will soon be over, a draft of a key US-Afghan security deal obtained by NBC NEWS shows the United States is prepared to maintain military outposts in Afghanistan for many years to come, and pay to support hundreds of thousands of Afghan security forces.
The wide-ranging document, still unsigned by the United States and Afghanistan, has the potential to commit thousands of American troops to Afghanistan and spend billions of US taxpayer dollars.
The document outlines what appears to be the start of a new, open-ended military commitment in Afghanistan in the name of training and continuing to fight al-Qaeda. The war in Afghanistan doesn’t seem to be ending, but renewed under new, scaled-down US-Afghan terms.

 

[pardus]

No surprise.

US troops will only leave Afghanistan when the Taliban force them out.

 

[Loki]

The US and Afghanistan have finalized the draft of a mutual security pact indicating that US troops could remain in the country until 2024. Afghan politicians will meet in two days to vote on the new agreement.

While the 25-page “Security and Defense Cooperation Agreement Between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan” is still unsigned, the deal displays a willingness of the US to retain their military outposts for many years, potentially until 2024, while continuing to pay support to Afghan security forces.

“The Parties acknowledge that continued US military operations to defeat al-Qaeda and its affiliates may be appropriate and agree to continue their close cooperation and coordination toward that end,”stated the document, which was released for public viewing by NBC News.


http://rt.com/news/usa-afghanistan-karzai-security-977/


I'm shocked!

 

[AWP]

Merged.

 

[DA SWO]

Does Congress get a say?

 

[Loki]

 

[Scotth]

Does Congress get a say?

Absolutely, fund or don't fund Afghan operations.

I don't understand why they continue to try an work with Karzai? There is no win of any kind in Afghanistan with Karzai in power. We can't wait until next springs elections for Karzai to decide if he wants to sign the deal or not so we can pull the plug on this mess. After the last elections does anyone even question what the outcome will be?

With the right internal leadership Afghanistan would be worth the fight but that is never going to happen. Walk away now and let's see if Karzai makes it to the spring election would be my preferred solution.

 

[reed11b]

aaand now they are saying we are pulling out 100%. maybe.
Reed

 

[DA SWO]

Just drawdown to 35K immediatly and let the Afghans see the result, plus it gives us cushion if we decide to stay.

On 1 April start drawing down to 15K, and again give the government until we hit 15K to decide.

Then keep what is needed to get our shit out, and wave bye-bye as we leave.

I can't help but think the strategy is to keep gear in-country, then pull the rug out; forcing us to leave millions of dollars worth of gear in-country.

 

[AWP]

Just drawdown to 35K immediatly and let the Afghans see the result, plus it gives us cushion if we decide to stay.

On 1 April start drawing down to 15K, and again give the government until we hit 15K to decide.

Then keep what is needed to get our shit out, and wave bye-bye as we leave.

I can't help but think the strategy is to keep gear in-country, then pull the rug out; forcing us to leave millions of dollars worth of gear in-country.

We are shredding and disposing of gear left and right. Filling connex's and selling it for scrap to the locals for pennies on the pound. Watch, we'll scrap everything we can to say that we didn't leave it behind.

The cost for returning much of this is through the roof, but I have to wonder if anyone ever put any thought into that when we shipped the stuff over...like the entire war was disposable.

 

[Centermass]

We are shredding and disposing of gear left and right. Filling connex's and selling it for scrap to the locals for pennies on the pound. Watch, we'll scrap everything we can to say that we didn't leave it behind.

The cost for returning much of this is through the roof, but I have to wonder if anyone ever put any thought into that when we shipped the stuff over...like the entire war was disposable.

Same thing happened at the end of DS. Little details such as the huge influx of mail and care packages was never considered. The next logistical hurdle was the sheer volume of POW's so fast, so quick and what to do with them all. Finally and the one I found the most ironic (If not funny) was all the planning that went in to getting there and establishing a BOO. No one ever gave any thought as to a re deployment plan until the last minute....

Everything that was considered a commodity to the locals (The biggie was lumber since trees are hard to come by ) was sold on the cheap. By the time the balloon went up for the last remaining to board, whatever was left, was mobbed immediately. Madonna CD's and Playboys were considered HVT's.