Though the comments were made several months ago and only became public today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates had a moment of shocking honesty during a May dinner for Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
“We’re not leaving Afghanistan prematurely,” Gates insisted during comments at the dinner, “in fact, we’re not ever leaving at all.” The comments serve as a shocking contrast to his repeated comments over the summer, in which he insisted there was “no question” in his mind that the drawdown from Afghan would start in July 2011.
Gates continued with this public position even after President Obama disavowed the date, and at this point Gen. David Petraeus insists the war could easily last another decade, while NATO countries are disavowing a possible 2014 date to end the war.
Gates’ comments came in the context of his complaints about having “abandoned” Afghanistan after the Soviet occupation ended. With the US now firmly on the side of the former Soviet allies, it seems Gates’ answer is to continue the occupation forever.
So with a 1.4 trillion dollar deficit this year, the military are planning to occupy Afghanistan forever. The military must be pawns of the US worst enemies since that strategy is certain to lead to bankruptcy. Then again, Gates will be gone by next year and we miight get a thinker in the Defence Secretary position. The costs of the illegal wars will bring the USA down.
The Taliban thank you Mr. Gatez… They have always said America would never leave and needed to be sent to the exit ALA Vietnam…. This bit of info will help them find more "volunteers" to plant even, ever more roadside bombs!! When this generation of troops return, they like the Vietnam Veteran vets, will have an enormous number addicted to heroin, and because of the ever more potent IEDs many will have no arms, legs or penises… We will be paying for the carnage for fifty years if we are lucky!!! Probably more like one hundred years
I believe Petraeus said something very similar a couple of months ago, about the war will last for our lifetimes and probably our children's lifetimes. Afghanistan is about the most distant (from the US), least accessible place to fight a war ON THIS PLANET. Crazy! I will live to see the end of the empire after all.
They're not going to leave Afghanistan and they're not going to leave Iraq either. Afghanistan and Iraq are stepping stones to the vast energy sources in the Caspian Sea area and a permanent presence in the Middle East.
twinkle twinkle falling stars,how I wonder what you are USA….
Atleast I am happy that people do keep an open eye.
What the fuck is your President? His generals defy him, and now his Defense secretary defies him, even a mere Col in NSC defies him..let alone the fact that his ally Israel always pits on him…This president is a little shit of a joke! What he has done is having actually done nothing at all.
I heard and read his inauguration speech with all the promised "changes" and what he actually has done is what Bush did and wanted to do.
Sigh!!!! I need a beer!
great post! where the fuck is the president? Generals and cabinet douchebags like Gates arern't supposed to go around dictating what the country is going to be doing.
Pentagon is taking over the U.S.A.
I wonder IF Ghengis Khan thought that he would NEVER leave Afghanistan? – or the British – or the the Russians? And where are they all today?
As Zionist Neocon and idiot, William Kristol, has said – "America is the new Rome and more powerful than the old Rome." The empire will never leave Iraq or Afghanistan – on to Iran.
Oops – but where is the 'old Rome'? – isn't it just dust on the pages of History along with ALL other empires? – which is where the American empire is headed!
Nice pick-up persnipoles!! And WOW did you see the reactions of the locals there in Utah..!!! Good job connecting those dots… something big coming before the elections…..?? Or p just more and more of the mundane 4th generation dance in Afghanistan as we kill a dozen or two a week for a billion or two a week… on and on till we are broke or they are dead..??? Too bad the American economy isn't as good at producing money as plural marriage is at producing angry men!! What is SoD…..Not SOBs??
How you gonna have an economy without a war?
They're gonna leave effin' Afghanistan because it takes money to stay there and they're just about out of money. Like a junkie about to hit bottom, they're talking about how they're gonna do all kinds of stuff that never will happen. Ain't enough dope in the world to pay for the US war habit, not even if you take over heroin central and start dealing it yourself (as the CIA has done).
We should make Osama bin Laden president since he knows the US government better than anybody.
1-Look people.., almost two years ago I said that the Afghanistan and Iraq war is a combined strategy for US and NATO to have a total control of the Middle East and even expend its war into Pakistan, Iran and Syria.. That prediction is happening now.. For last few months we have seen all signs that US is willing to invade Pakistan under the assumption that Taliban or Alquida are in Pakistan.., for that reason they have expend their Drone attacks and to some extend even have moved into Pakistan.., they are waiting for the present Pakistani government to bee weaken more as they are.., then they have a real reason to invade Pakistan.. At the same time I said that: as long as we have Gates and Hillary Clinton then these kind of war and strategy is going to be expended.
2-Forget about the Pakistani atomic bombs.., if US and NATO were sure that the Pakistani WMD were going to be used.., they would have helped the present Pakistani regime to eliminate alquida or Taliban or whatever terrorisms is there to be eliminated.., yet from now on we need to be hearing more and more of attacks into Iranian territory by the terrorist group whom are paid and trained by the US and hear more about attacks into Pakistani territory by the US militarism regime or the mercenaries group whom are paid by the US government. These are the activity which by implementing it the goal is to destabilize the region and to some points the US and NATO militarism regime have succeeded.
Perpetual war for perpetual profits. The Wall Street military-industrial blood-suckers always win; the nearly bankrupt American middle and lower classes always lose.
The plan is to occupy the entire Middle East and Central Asia…, from Afghanistan to Pakistan to Syria to Iran.. Iraq was the start of the plan and is not going to stop there.., I said that two years ago.. and I say it again.., we are entering the second faze of this plan that is for US and NATO to occupy all the above countries.., even if it costs the Americans and Europeans to become the poorest nations in this world. Antiwar.., publish what I send you for last few hours.. That is if you are a antiwar.
I reckon it's time that Donald Duck was made President!
If they found someone whose name was Donald Duck and made him President he couldn't be any worse that a whole succession of elected Presidents!
Perhaps they could also find someone called Big Brother. The two of them, Donald Duck and Big Brother, could have a runoff!
Any bets on who would win?