Clinton Vows ‘Long-Term’ Commitment to Afghanistan

Citing 9/11, Insists US Will Never 'Neglect' Afghans

by Jason Ditz, May 11, 2010

In an effort seemingly aimed at reassuring Afghan President Hamid Karzai of the long-term US dominance of his nation, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today vowed that the US will never again “neglect” Afghanistan.

“This commitment, Mr. President, will endure long after US combat troops have left because we have learned the lessons of the past,” insisted Clinton, who frequently cited 9/11 during the announcement.

Though the pledge may indeed reassure President Karzai and his cronies, it may well have the opposite effect on the Afghan public, increasingly wary of the US and its repeated attacks on civilians.

After years of backing insurgents against the Soviet occupation, the US never fully “abandoned” the region as officials suggest, however. The US government was actually openly funding the Taliban right up until mid-2001 in the name of the “war on drugs.”

Since the late 2001 invasion, the US has repeatedly escalated the war in Afghanistan, and now has nearly 100,000 troops in the nation. Though there are suggestions that the number of troops may drop eventually, most expect that the military operation will continue for at least another decade, as the Taliban continues to enjoy considerable influence across the nation.

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