U.S. Considers Faster Pullout in Afghanistan

LimaOscarSierraTango

Infantry
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From yesterday, I don't remember seeing it posted.

WASHINGTON — Increasingly frustrated by his dealings with President Hamid Karzai, President Obama is giving serious consideration to speeding up the withdrawal of United States forces from Afghanistan and to a “zero option” that would leave no American troops there after next year, according to American and European officials.

...

A videoconference between Mr. Obama and Mr. Karzai designed to defuse the tensions ended badly, according to both American and Afghan officials with knowledge of it. Mr. Karzai, according to those sources, accused the United States of trying to negotiate a separate peace with both the Taliban and their backers in Pakistan, leaving Afghanistan’s fragile government exposed to its enemies.

...

Talks between the United States and Afghanistan over a long-term security deal have faltered in recent months over the Afghan government’s insistence that the United States guarantee Afghanistan’s security and, in essence, commit to declaring Pakistan the main obstacle in the fight against militancy in the region.

The guarantees sought by Afghanistan, if implemented, could possibly compel the United States to attack Taliban havens in Pakistan long after 2014, when the Obama administration has said it hoped to dial back the C.I.A.’s covert drone war there.

Mr. Karzai also wants the Obama administration to specify the number of troops it would leave in Afghanistan after 2014 and make a multiyear financial commitment to the Afghan Army and the police.

...

To the surprise of American officials, Mr. Karzai then abruptly ended the negotiations over a long-term security deal. He has said the negotiations would not resume until the Taliban met directly with representatives of the Afghan government, essentially linking the security negotiations to a faltering peace process and making the United States responsible for persuading the Taliban to talk to the Afghan government.

...

The ripple effects of a complete American withdrawal would be significant. Western officials said the Germans and Italians — the two main European allies who have committed to staying on with substantial forces — would leave as well. Any smaller nations that envisioned keeping token forces would most likely have no way of doing so.

And Afghanistan would probably see far less than the roughly $8 billion in annual military and civilian aid it is expecting in the coming years — an amount that covers more than half the government’s annual spending.

SOURCE

Sweet! Let's GTFO and let Karzai wallow in his own shit. He gets pissed and threatens to kick us out early, and then when we are tired of his bullshit and tell him we are leaving early, he gets pissed and tells us to stay and give him more money. I can't wait until we are out just so I can count the hours until someone finds him.
 
I expect the bottom to fall out next summer. Accordingly, I want to be done by 01JUN2014. The only guys making plans to be here in July are the n00bs who are optimistic and the ones who have been here so long that they don't care.

Fuck this country.
 
Get out NLT March and don't look back FF. Heck, I'd keep several 100's around just in case you have to dawn the burqa and go for a nice Sunday afternoon drive.
 
Me'thinks he doesn't have enough opium to keep the hounds at bay should we leave. I personally would like to watch his overthrow in 3-D with surround sound from my living room. GO1 doesn't apply there, after all.
 
In the words of George Carlin, "Pulling out just doesn't seem very manly."

That's why we're conducting a retreat "retrograde while in contact."

http://www.army.mil/article/97010/
Even thought equipment is already returning from Afghanistan, Via said commanders there are still in "a very tough fight" as they work to transition the mission to the Afghan National Army.
"So it's retrograding while in contact, and I don't think there could be any more complex mission than what we face there in theater there today," he said.
 
As long as Karzai is in charge, for what that means, there is no good reason why not to GTFO of dodge as fast as possible.
 
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